Undying
by MikariStar
Summary: BowserxPeach, Peach's point of view. "Everyone is always making sacrifices for my sake, always protecting me. I can't take it anymore..." BxP
1. Chapters 1 and 2

BowserxPeach, Peach's point of view. "Everyone is always making sacrifices for my sake, always protecting me. I can't take it anymore..."

Undying

Chapter 1: A New Project

I sigh and try to calm the frustration that lingers in the back of my mind. Though my father has given me several chances to speak during the group discussions I've been disregarded. It seems that only my father and Toadsworth acknowledge my presence in the meeting room and it is quite frustrating.

Now we have come to the part of the meeting where each person is given a set amount of time to take the spotlight, bringing forward their ideas and concerns. "So you see ladies and gentlemen," Toadallius, one of the members of the council is currently speaking. He pauses at this point and looks at each person in the room save for me. "The problem lies in the lack of innovation. The Mushroom Kingdom has stayed with its traditional ways for too long and we are falling well behind in the market."

I like to look at people when they speak, even if I can hear and listen just as easily if I do not see their face. However, I like to see their body language, but that becomes hard when the speaker is pretending I'm not there. I'm always getting kidnapped, I'm too nice, too soft, and though those closest to me make me feel proud of who I am, I worry that I may not be the best to rule over this kingdom.

None the less, I smile and carry on with life, but since Toadallius won't look at me, I suppose he won't mind if I discreetly take one of the folders that has been placed on the table in front of my father, and start reading instead of showing my interest in his repetition of what has already been said by several other council members.

The folder contains information about research conducted by a group of scientists in an under funded laboratory. My interest is taken and I speed read through the report devouring every bit of information. Why has this not been approved, or even brought to light during this meeting? However, I politely wait for my turn before bringing this up.

Those of higher standing the council are granted the last turns to speak, the final words after having heard what everyone else has to say. Some time later, Toadsworth was finished with his speech and the only ones left are my father and I.

"Now Princess Peach will discuss her ideas with us," Toadsworth announced me with a tone demanding of everyone's attention.

I stood from my seat, folder in hand, and began the discussion. "Distinguished members of the council, I agree that we must indeed advance, but the question is how? While I acknowledge the importance of the tourist industry as mentioned before, and agree that it should be maintained, the truth is we have little room to grow. Nearly every inch of our kingdom after its recent expansions has become living space or commercial."

It was those expansions that desperately tried to save the economy, and those same expansions that had made it sink with too little or too slow revenues. "Do you propose that we overtake more land?" Toadallius looks horrified and the rest of the council begins to mutter.

"Order!" My father calls, and the council settles.

"No, that is not what I propose at all." I continue my speech. "Rather, I propose that we properly develop what we have. If we take a close look at the structure of our kingdom, we will find that we are lacking on the field of science. Technology has become the force that moves the world, people await and expect new advancements day by day, and those who cannot keep up are inevitably left behind." I should know; having switched my cell phone for one produced in Sarasaland instead of my old Mushroom Kingdom made cellphone with the terrible reception. My computer was made by the Koopa Kingdom, and only after letting go of my locally built PC did I finally learned that getting the blue screen every hour or so is not as normal as I thought.

The council is filled with murmurs and protests, that would have been withheld until I the end of the speech if my father was the one speaking in my place. "Order!" he calls, and once again the council settles.

"I understand that entering the world of electronics would be extremely hard right now. However, there is one industry that has not been receiving the needed attention in the last few years from the Mushroom Kingdom or from the neighboring lands, bioengineering." I wish the plush carpet beneath me would swallow me up right now. I have never been afraid to speak in front of a crowd, but most of these people are looking at me as if I were insane.

My father recognizes the folder I'm holding, glancing at the place it used to occupy on the table to confirm its identity. Toadsworth then clears his throat and attempts to save me, "a wonderful suggestion your highness." He begins to stand as if telling me that I should allow him to elaborate on the subject.

But I continue, "thank you," and hint that I am not done yet, and I will not stop talking until my time is over. "I believe it will be beneficial to invest in research and development. It may be true that funding is required, but if we do not invest, we will never sow the fruits of labor. Simple products are no longer in high demand. The Mushroom Kingdom's exports focus of food; and the prices of food cannot compete with the investments in the technology that is imported, despite the volume of our production. We must take part in these advancements as well."

The room is quiet and all eyes are on me. But I do not know if this is good or bad. "In the past, the Mushroom Kingdom was known for its medical resources, but mixing mushrooms and herbs is no longer good enough. We must invest in research and come up with better products. It is not that we lack resources, but rather that we're not getting the most out of them. I will personally look further into the matter and bring forward a full plan of action to discuss in our next meeting. Thank you for your attention."

I take my seat once more and feel satisfied with myself. My father lets out a breath I didn't realize he was holding, and Toadsworth recovers the color in his face.

xoxox xox xoxox

The meeting is over and the members of the council have left. Only my father, Toadsworth and I remain. "Marvelous speech!" Toadsworth congratulates me.

"Yes, it was wonderful, I'm proud of you," my father joins in the praise.

"Thank you, but I did notice you both looked a little nervous." I wish to know why.

My father looks at the folder I had held on to. "I admit I was relived you didn't mention this petition directly and instead spoke of research in general terms. That operation has already been shut down."

I see now where their concerns were coming from. What kind of princess would I be if I didn't know that? "That's all the more reason to open a new research facility if we have none. Why was it shut down? Is the building still in good conditions?"

My father makes a long pause, as if he's thinking rather than remembering, and Toadsworth fidgets uncomfortably. "There was an accident," my father finally speaks.

"I see," I know he made that up; he does this when he's trying to protect me. "Was anyone injured?" Perhaps the only way to show that I am a capable and responsible adult is to find out the details on my own.

"Fortunately, there were only a few people with minor injuries. They were treated right away and have already fully recovered. But we decided to shut down the facility for security reasons, to prevent a bigger accident." My father has calmed down, thinking that I believe his explanation. I can see the guilt mixed with protective love reflected in his eyes.

"In that case, I will arrange for a team of experts to examine the facilities and determine what kinds of changes need to be made before it becomes operational. It will be a whole new project." Both my father and Toadsworth seem pleased with the way things are going. They are clearly relieved that I have not inquired further details about the laboratory's past; instead aiming for a fresh start.

xoxox xox xoxox

Bright and early the next morning, I went to research center along with a team. My team includes scientists, an architect, an electricity expect and a plumber, Mario. While the scientists inspect the left over research equipment, and the electricity and plumbing experts each focus in their fields, I wander around the laboratory. There isn't supposed to be anyone else here except us, but I hear a faint echo.

I think about disregarding the echo as being only a normal echo thanks to the tall ceilings and spacious halls, but my instinct tells me otherwise. I continue down the large white hall and turn right at the end of the corridor. The echo becomes stronger until I reach the room at the end of the hall.

The room is empty, completely empty, save for one table, unlike the others which hold some kind of equipment. I notice the strange shadows on the floor as if the white tiles have been eaten away by acid. I wonder if this is where the accident happened and if it was bigger than I was told.

As I walk around the room my footsteps sound off differently. Then, unexpectedly, a brittle tile breaks under my weight and I lose my balance falling backwards. I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head when it collides against the edge of the table, and my world is effulged in darkness.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Peach, Peach!" I slowly open my eyes to find Mario and the mushroom people I brought to the laboratory hovering over me. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just slipped," I smile, reassuring Mario and the group. But the truth is that my head really hurts. After Mario helps me to my feet, I take a moment to feel the back of my head, I was sure there would be blood but the area is thankfully dry. The table is also perfectly clean.

I glance at the floor where I expect to see a broken tile, but curiously all the tiles are whole. Strangely, one of them seems newer than the others, and a cold chill runs down my spine. I push the worries away; maybe I imagined that the tile breaking but I only slipped. That newer tile must have been there the whole time; I just didn't notice it before.

xoxox xox xoxox

After we left the laboratory I was very pleased with the results. The facility only needed some minor maintenance and it would be in working order. Some scientists heard about it and requested an audience. It went very well and I'm exited for this project. Maybe this is what it's really about; this is what the future ruler of a kingdom should feel like. For once I'm not just a decoration, I'm making a difference.

The day has been very fulfilling, but it has left me exhausted. I long for a nice warm bath and a soft bed, but a sudden explosion hints that I won't be sleeping in my own bed tonight. Panicked guards run by and usher me to my room, where I am instructed to lock the door and hide. Bowser is invading Mushroom Castle again.

I bolt and lock my door, then run to close and secure the windows. I hate hiding like this. Just who does Bowser think he is, taking me away from my home all the time? Maybe it's about time I gave him a piece of my mind.

I know being locked in my room will not stop Bowser, only delay the inevitable, so I decide to go out and face him. I'm sure Mario will be informed, if he hasn't already, but Bowser's troops will be there to slow him down, enough for the Koopa King to make his get away.

This is all quite troublesome and it has to stop. How can I be thinking about helping my kingdom if I am not here to see the plans through? Reluctantly I open my door and find myself looking at Bowser, hand extended as if he was about to rip the door off.

"Your hero is here Peach. Let's go home," my glare is so piecing that Bowser stops in the middle of the process of picking me up. His arm rests around my waist but I do not look at it, instead keeping my icy glare on his red eyes.

Bowser seems hurt by how I looked at him. I blink, my eyes feel irritated, but I don't understand why, and the headache that had faded away a few hours after leaving the laboratory is returning.

Without wasting any more time, Bowser takes me in his arms and runs back to his clown-copter; then we fly off to one of his castles. The cool night air feels refreshing on my warm face. I might have a fever, but I cannot explain why. I have not done anything that would expose me to a cold, but it feels as if I'm coming down with one.

"Peach are you alright?" Bowser's voice is filled with concern. He's looking at me differently, with so much worry.

It makes me wonder if I really look that sickly. I was fine before, I don't understand how a cold could develop so fast, assuming that's what it is. "I'm fine." The cool night air is probably not the best for my developing cold, but my face still feels a little warm so the breeze is nice.

"I'll take you to see a doctor as soon as we arrive." I give Bowser a surprised look. I didn't expect him to suggest seeing a doctor, I'm not that sick.

"I'm alright," I insist. "Really, it's just a cold." I smile, even if he is my kidnapper, I can't help it but to appreciate his concern. I don't know why, but when I look at his eyes all the anger I might have felt for him fades away. I feel better, my face isn't warm anymore, and Bowser seems relieved.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Hmm..." I've been listening to Dr. Kooheal make that same sound for the past twenty-three minutes. Bowser insisted that I took a basic medical test. I had the chance to see my reflection and I didn't look too sickly, so I'm not sure what worried him so much.

None the less I complied and I've been sitting in the examination table for the last twenty-four minutes. "Doctor?"

"You're pulse is a little fast for a human," Dr. Kooheal reveals. He glances at Bowser, then looks back at me with a smile. "But it is nothing to worry about, I'm sure it's due to the excitement. Your heart will slow to a normal rate soon, now say ah!"

I open my mouth big and Kooheal shines a light observing my throat. "Everything is normal here, now let me examine your eyes." He has already examined my eyes before.

"You already did that," I remind him.

He took a very long time examining my eyes while making that "hmm" sound. "Yes, I know... Do you usually wear contact lenses?"

"No, I don't," I reply starting to feel sick again. My patience is running out, I am tired and I wish to sleep. My head is starting to hurt and my face feels warm again.

"Could you cover your left eye and read the letters on that poster?" Kooheal points at a poster on the opposite wall.

I place my hand over my left eye and read "I'll read the last line, E, F, M, N, P, B, O, Q." Then before Kooheal can ask, I cover my right eye and recite the same letters again. My eyes feel irritated, I can see clearly but my eyes feel uncomfortable, yet not watery. I glance at Bowser who looks like he saw a ghost. "What's wrong? Did I read it wrong?" I'm certain that I read the letters correctly.

"No, it's just that your eyes look a little red," Bowser gives me that same concerned look from before. That caring look that tells me he truly worries about me.

"It's been a long day, I'm sure I'll be fine if I rest." I really believe my own words, and without further ado I am taken to the guest room.

"Good night, if you need anything just call. Someone will be at your door the entire night." Bowser gently closes the guest room door and I sigh deeply. It' been a very long day.

I glance at the bed, it looks very inviting but I better change first, because my dress isn't the most comfortable thing to wear to sleep. Thankfully I have an entire wardrobe ready for me in each of Bowser's castles.

I walk into the bathroom attached to the bedroom and settle for a warm shower instead of a bath since it's faster. Then I change into a nightgown and lay down on the soft bed, pulling the covers over my body.

Maybe tomorrow Mario will come for me, and if not, then the day after. Then I'll be able to continue the project to open that research facility. I should make a schedule and appoint a director so that it can continue even in my absence; then I will be informed of their progress when I return. With those thoughts I fall asleep and dream.

xoxox xox xoxox

I wake up after what feels like an instant, even if several hours have passed. I'm still tired and I don't feel like getting up, but I can't fall asleep again. I get out of bed and walk over to an open window. The sun is shining in Grass Land and the atmosphere is peaceful. There are no signs of battle which means that Mario isn't here yet. He must be being held back by Bowser's troops, but I know they won't be able to stop him.

I head over to the bathroom and look at my reflection in the mirror. Other than my hair being far messier than it usually is in the morning, I'm fine; though I must admit the hair surprised me. I remember having an odd dream, in which I seemed to become the protagonist of a martial arts movie. I guess I must have moved in my sleep more than usual. I take a morning shower to finish waking up, and change into a new dress. It is of course pink, my favorite color.

When I open my room's door, Bowser falls on his side, waking up instantly. "Bowser? You were sleeping leaning on the door?" Needless to say I am quite surprised by my finding.

Bowser smiles somewhat sheepishly. "I just wanted to keep you company, but you probably didn't want me inside the room, so I just slept in front of it."

In his own special way, Bowser can be sweet sometimes. Then I take note of his right arm and gasp. "Bowser! What happened to your arm?"

Bowser's arm is bandaged, and I know he wouldn't agree to wear bandages unless it was something really serious. But it's just like him to say, "it's nothing. Let's go have some breakfast."

I nod and follow him to the dinning room. The castle feels strangely empty. We sit at the table and the food is brought in. Bowser starts eating right away, but I don't touch my breakfast regardless of how deliciously appetizing the buttery toast looks. "Shouldn't we wait?"

"For who?"

"The koopalings."

Bowser makes a long pause before answering, "they're in another castle."

"Why?" Truthfully, I wanted to see them.

"Because," Bowser looks like he's uncomfortable with the subject.

"Is something going on? There are less people in the castle than there were yesterday." I can't help it but to suspect.

"Everything is fine," Bowser forces himself to smile and speaks in a supportive tone as if I needed reassurance. But the worry his eyes hold, reveal that everything is not fine.

"Tell me the truth."

"Your breakfast is getting cold."

"The truth, Bowser."

"If you don't feel like having toast you can ask for something else."

"Answer my question, please."

"Would you like some pancakes?"

"Answer me!" I raise my voice more than I intended and my head starts to hurt again. I place a hand on my forehead and can feel the heat through my glove.

"It's okay Peach, calm down. You're going to be alright." Bowser holds up my glass of juice with his uninjured arm, encouraging me to take small sips.

After I calm down, the pain in my head fades away and I let out a deep breath. "What's happening to me?" I have a feeling that Dr. Kooheal wasn't very honest in his diagnosis, but he must have told Bowser more than he told me.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, but I had a sudden headache a second ago, and I snapped at you. I'm not sure why I'm so moody all of a sudden." It's a bit early for PMS and it doesn't feel like a regular cold.

"I love you, no matter what." I don't know why Bowser feels the sudden need to remind me.

"I know," maybe I'm just having an off day or "maybe it's stress."

"Do you want to go to a spa?" The question feels as if it came out of nowhere.

"A spa?" I repeat.

"Yes, there's a warp pipe in this castle that can get us there in no time. I'm sure you'll feel better after a day of relaxing. I'll have it reserved just for us. Say yes, I know you'll like it!"

Honestly, I could use some relaxation time at a spa. I'm eager to get back to work in the Mushroom Kingdom, but I know that I won't be able to do much if I fall ill because of excessive stress. "That sounds very pleasant."

"Good, then finish your breakfast and we can be on our way." I nod and Bowser returns to the task of devouring his breakfast. The tension in the air seems to have melted away.

I start on my toast and immediately stop, it tastes strange. I force myself to swallow the bite, since it would be rude to spit it into a napkin, but my face inadvertently reveals my displeasure.

"Would you like something else?" Bowser asks again.

I shake my head, "I'm alright; I just didn't chew well enough." Once again I try to eat the toast but it tastes awful, which is strange because it looks and smells delicious.

"If you don't like it just say so, chef!" A koopa with a chef's hat came rushing over at Bowser's call and vowed. "Bring Peach a proper breakfast."

I immediately feel guilty, I don't want to insult the chef's cooking. "It's alright; I just don't have much of an appetite this morning." My stomach growls revealing that I'm lying.

"What would you like to have for breakfast, Princess Peach?" The chef asks.

I sigh, there's no use in trying to hide it anymore. "Some pancakes please."

"Right away, Princess!" After the chef left, I gave Bowser a look of disapproval.

"What? When you don't like something you have to say it!" He makes it sound as if it were so simple.

"I don't want to offend anyone," I try to explain.

"I'm not offended."

"Not you, the chef."

The next few minutes pass in silence, until the chef arrives with the pancakes. "Here are your pancakes, Princess. I hope they are to your liking."

"Thank you, I'm sorry for having you prepare something else." I feel a little ashamed with the situation.

"There is no need to apologize! If you want anything else, please say so and I will be happy to prepare it!" The chef stayed, as if waiting to see if I liked the pancakes.

Once again I tried to eat my breakfast; but it didn't taste how is should and even if I tried to smile, my face wouldn't cooperate.

"The pancakes are not to your liking?" The chef looked hurt.

"What did you put in Peach's breakfast?" Bowser glared daggers at the frightened chef.

"Nothing unusual, only the best quality ingredients!" The chef started to shake in fear.

"Let me taste it." But instead of just tasting the pancakes himself, Bowser opened his mouth as if waiting for me to feed him.

As embarrassed as I am I don't feel like arguing, so I'll just feed him a bite and get it over with. "It tastes fine to me." Bowser sounds as if it were a bad thing that the pancake tastes fine to him.

Could it be that stress can reach a point where it even affects the sense of taste? Or is this somehow linked to something Dr. Kooheal found but didn't tell me about? Is it something more than just stress? I push the thoughts away; I'm just going to stress myself even more this way.

"Try this," Bowser holds out a fork with some kind of greasy bacon. It doesn't look appetizing at all, but it was also made by the same chef so for his sake I try it.

"It's good!" I'm surprised at myself for liking it. I do eat meat, and there's nothing like a delicious stake every now and then, but it has never been my favorite food as I prefer sweets and fruits. Yet strangely, I suddenly feel like eating meat.

"Bring some more bacon!" Bowser orders, and the chef rushes back to the kitchen to prepare it.

xoxox xox xoxox

I ate more greasy meat than I thought I was capable of. I'm not sure what's wrong with my appetite and sense of taste, but I'm trying not to worry about that right now, I'm looking forward to the spa.

As we walk down the near empty halls, passing a few goombas and koopas every now and then, I hear a pleading voice. "I want to see her!" We're passing the area near the infirmary.

"I'm sorry but you can't see her right now," that sounds like Dr. Kooheal.

"Is it that bad?" The man inquiring about the patient sounds very worried.

"No, her condition is stable and she is conscious but..." Dr. Kooheal pauses and takes a deep breath. "She told me she doesn't want to see anyone right now."

"Not even me? But I'm her fianc?"

"Especially not you, the battle left her... scarred," Kooheal's voice is filled with pity.

"I don't care about that; just let me see her, let me talk to her!" My heart goes out to that couple and before I know it, I'm rushing to the infirmary, ignoring Bowser's calls.

I find Keres, a koopa troopa; he has guarded my door in the past when I had stayed in Bowser's castle. His shell is a rare yellow and his hair is blond, his eyes are a deep violet blurred with tears. I know his girlfriend too, but I had not heard they were engaged. Skyri is a paratroopa with cyan hair, a sky blue shell, warm brown eyes and beautiful white wings.

When Keres heard me arrive he immediately became quiet. His look of worry still remained but additionally, there was a deep pity as if he felt sorry for me, but why? I feel that everyone knows something I don't.

"Peach, let's go." Bowser led me away from the infirmary and I followed without words.

I feel a knot in my throat, I feel my eyes begin to water, and I feel sheltered and deceived. "While I was sleeping, something happened," I conclude. "You weren't just keeping me company, you were guarding my door. For the same reason the koopalings were sent away, and Skyri was injured."

"Who?"

"Keres' girlfriend, I mean fianc? The koopa we saw back there was Keres, you often tell him to guard my door and don't even remember his name?" This upsets me even more than I already am.

"Yellow shell... yeah he's a reliable guard and blue hair is a good spy. But Peach, they're both soldiers and things happen in the army, they knew that when they joined. Come on, the warp pipe is in this room." Bowser opens the double doors adorned with carvings of his face, and reveals a large green pipe in the center of the room. "The spa is in Desert Land."

"I don't want to talk about the spa; I want to know what happened. It doesn't make any sense. Something happened that injured your soldiers and made you send the koopalings away. But I was allowed to stay in the castle. What is going on?" My head starts pounding again and my entire body feels feverish.

"Peach, calm down," Bowser speaks as gently as possible. "I'll tell you what happened last night. I'll tell you everything, just calm down." He looks so worried.

I take a deep breath and try to calm down, but my headache doesn't stop and the fever doesn't cease. "I'm listening."

Chapter 2: Princess, Princess

I take a deep breath and try to calm down, but my headache doesn't stop and the fever doesn't cease. "I'm listening."

"There was a..." Bowser is thinking, not remembering. This is something I am sadly very used to, but I wouldn't expect it from him. "Situation, last night," his reply is so vague it might as well not have been spoken.

"I know, but what was that situation?" I don't want to be taken in circles around the obvious. My head continues to pound and my eyes burn.

"Excuse me," Keres vows at the door. "Princess Peach, I brought a message for you from Skyri."

The blond koopa hands me a small sheet of paper and I manage to mutter a "thanks" as I take a long look at his face. He knows something I don't, everyone around me does.

Keres nods and I'm not sure if it's meant as an acknowledgment to my thanks or a reassurance for Bowser that his interruption was well warranted. Perhaps it's both.

'Dear Peach, I heard you found out that some of us were injured last night and you were worried. What happened was nothing for you to worry about. King Bowser took care of you and kept you safe the entire time, as did we. The intruder will be dealt with so please don't worry. I'm fine too, I was just being a big dramatic, and so was Keres. Try to relax and enjoy your stay.' The note is signed by Skyri.

While I read, I occasionally glanced at Bowser, who gave Keres questioning looks. I know Keres must be a good soldier in Bowser's eyes, otherwise he wouldn't be appointed to guard my door when Bowser's presence is required elsewhere. It's obvious Bowser must be thinking that Keres is not the type to interrupt for no reason, and the familiar feeling of being overprotected makes me doubt the validity of this note, but for the moment being I will trust it until proven otherwise. "I'm glad Skyri is alright, could I see her?"

"She's resting, the doctor said she needed plenty of sleep, but maybe you can visit her later. I'm sure you have plans so I'll be leaving now." Keres vows and runs off, he doesn't look back, not once.

I find this very suspicious. It's odd that Keres would tell me to leave the visit to Skyri for another time, and the way he left in such a hurry is also unusual. My guess with the little information I have now; is that they are on the search for whoever invaded the castle last night. They want to make my stay so perfect that they don't want me to think about it, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to paint my world pink. I look at my dress, tinted in my favorite color and sigh at the irony.

"Peach, shall we go?" It's clear that Bowser is eager to change the subject, and he's also relived that I calmed down after reading Skyri's note. Making me calm down must have been the purpose of the note, and it worked, Bowser must have understood that since he didn't yell at Keres for the interruption.

"Bowser, if something happens, you don't need to go to the extremes for me. Don't let your army get hurt just so I can have a good night's sleep." I feel as if my words are falling on deaf ears, because I know Bowser would do anything for me. I cannot precise for how long I've known this, but I know.

Bowser paused in thought; then tried to use my words to his advantage. "You don't want people to go out of their way for you, right? In that case, we shouldn't keep the spa staff waiting."

He got me there, "alright let's go, but just what do you mean waiting? Are we expected?" And I got him too.

"Last night before going to sleep, I ordered that the spa be reserved for you today. I thought you might want to relax." Bowser extends his hand to help me climb into the pipe.

"I knew that question couldn't have come out of nowhere in breakfast. You had it all planned out." I take his hand and climb onto the edge of the pipe, holding my skirt with my other hand. Then I let myself fall in, a current of air encompassing my entire body. It feels like a mixture of flying, floating and falling. For a moment I lose all notion of which way is up, and the next thing I know I'm thrown out of an identical green pipe, surrounded by a very different scenery.

I step back from the pipe and seconds later, Bowser jumps out of it. This room is colored a lot brighter than the usual gray tones of Bowser's castles. The pastel walls are mostly covered by artistically arranged decorated fabrics for an elegant yet relaxed feel. The carpet is soft and plush, and the air conditioner is set so that the room isn't desert-hot, but warm enough for the change in temperature to be felt.

Bowser and I walk towards the only door in the pipe room, which is decorated with a detailed carving of a funny dancing cactus. As soon as Bowser opens the door, a multitude of shy guys and shy aways bellow "welcome!" in a mismatching chorus.

There is a small pause, as one of the shy guys steps forwards. He looks ready to speak, but Bowser's cell phone rings, the electric guitar calling all eyes towards him. The shy guy's short arm is left raised, and under his mask, I suspect his mouth was left open.

Bowser glared at his cell phone, then, as if suddenly recognizing the number, he answered it immediately. "What happened?" I am only able to hear Bowser's side of the conversation, and he's doing most of the listening so I can't tell what this is about. "Do I have to be there in person? What? Be there in a few minutes."

"Is this about the intruder?"

Bowser nods at my question and before I can say anything else, he takes me in his arms. "I'll be back as soon as I can, just relax."

"You need to rest too," it's clear as day that Bowser is stressed, very stressed. "If there's anything I can do, tell me right away."

"You can enjoy your time here. I like seeing you smile." I tried to smile for Bowser, even if on the inside I felt frustrated that I could only smile.

After Bowser left, the male shy guy wearing dark red, apparently the manager of the spa, continued his interrupted speech. While he listed off the things I could do in the spa, instead of paying attention as I should, my mind focused on the last few words I spoke with Bowser. I told him to let me know if there's anything I could do, but truthfully I can come up with no possible actions to take.

That is something I wish to improve, because in reality it's not just about being willing to help, but also about knowing how to help. I have a lot to learn before becoming a real princess, let alone eventually a queen. Suddenly, the doubt of the Mushroom council feels justified.

"Princess, please!" The loud pleading voice brings me out of my thoughts.

I automatically search for the source, but soon realize that the insistence is not directed at me, but at a different princess. "This is like my favorite spa and you can't keep me out. Besides, my dad totally owns this land!" Wendy O. Koopa pushed her way past the shy guy guards and strolled down the hall. "Peach!" She sounds surprised that I'm here.

"Hi," I'm not sure what to say. I want to ask Wendy if she knows anything about last night's incident, but it looks like her biggest worry is getting into the spa, so I suspect she doesn't have the whole story about last night's happenings; or maybe I'm blowing things out of proportion with my suspicions.

"I thought you like had a terrible cold and couldn't get out of bed. King Dad didn't want us anywhere near you. Like when one of us gets a cold, we all totally end up getting it." It's not a rare problem in families with many children for colds to spread that quickly, but I don't think that's the entire story. "Like where is he?"

I glance at the spa staff; then back at Wendy. I need to talk to her in private. Even if she doesn't have the full details about what happened last night, if we put our small clues together we might figure something out. "Bowser had to go take care of some business," that alone is suspicious; it has to be extremely important if he chose to leave instead of staying with me.

"That's like totally unexpected," it goes without saying that Wendy finds it suspicious as well.

I give a small, hard to catch nod, then discreetly glance around. "Do you come here often? What do you recommend?"

Wendy catches on right away, "definitely the sand baths, they're like totally relaxing," and after we're covered in sand, we'll be left alone; perfect.

xoxox xox xoxox

This is nothing like being covered in sand at the beach. Normally sand can be annoying, but this is great. The blanket of warm sand absorbs away my stress so well, that I wonder if it is only the effect of laying down in a pleasant temperature with relaxing music in the background, or if the sand is actually magically enhanced.

Once we are left alone, Wendy starts the conversation, "like about last night. Something totally happened and King Dad is hiding it."

"He's hiding it from me too," Wendy looks surprised when I say this. "I was hoping we could come up with an idea by putting our clues together."

"That would be easier if I like saw anything. I was like listening to music in my sleep, relaxing music is totally good for beauty sleep; so I slept through whatever happened until a maid came running in to wake me up. Then we were all like sent off to Neon Castle in the middle of the night! I knew it was too much for something like getting away from a cold."

"Did you hear anything else?"

"Nothing, we like had to leave to get away from the cold, that's all. But you don't look like you have a cold."

I did have some symptoms but they were so unusual it makes me conclude that "I don't have a cold," but there is something wrong. "Bowser was injured last night."

"I like didn't know that," sounds like Wendy was kept in the dark more so than I was. "Who did it?"

"I don't know," the Mario brothers have been the only ones who truly stood up to Bowser; and it know it wasn't them. The thought of someone strong enough to injure him worries me.

"Then we're like both confused." Wendy sounds frustrated to be kept out of the information circle.

Bowser won't tell me what's going on, Wendy doesn't know, Keres and Skyri are not being completely honest either, and the other koopalings might not know, except for maybe Ludwig. The oldest koopaling has always been very perceptive, but he might not be willing to reveal any information if he does know anything.

"Let's just forget about it. I was in like the worse mood because of last night and I'm here to relax. If it's that important we'll like have to find out." Wendy has a point, but by then it might be too late.

Even so, the fact remains that if the truth is hidden from me, there's not much I can do. I'm tired of being the sheltered damsel and as nice as a day at the spa sounds, I don't want to lay around without accomplishing anything. "I'm going investigate."

"Like how?" Wendy sounds unsure if she likes the idea of leaving the spa or not.

"I'm going to Neon Castle."

"I'm staying here; I think you should totally stay too. The massages are like the best! Besides, I already asked around and no one knows what's going on except Ludwig and he's like totally stubborn about telling."

It's just as I suspected. I sight and sit up, letting the sand slip off my body. I brush some of it off; this is so very different from the beach where sand getting in my bathing suit would be annoying. But this sand is very soft. I'm tempted to lay down again but I can't relax with my mind going a thousand miles a minute.

"You like totally need to relax, badly!" Wendy gets up as well, "let's go to the hot springs." Before I can reply, the koopa girl is dragging off to a different area of the spa.

xoxox xox xoxox

After showering off the leftover sand, Wendy and I went into the hot springs. I make my way to the deepest area and allow myself to sink neck deep in the warm waters. "I always come like to come to the hot springs after the sand bath, and then get a massage, and a manicure, and then go to my favorite ice-cream shop at noon."

Though she's not directly saying it, Wendy is extending an invitation. "Do you usually do that by yourself?"

"Totally, my brothers don't like any of this stuff; it's not like a guy thing anyway." Wendy has no sisters to accompany her, and I know from experience that princesses are treated differently.

When I go out it's always with Mario or Daisy, sometimes with Mario, Daisy and Luigi. When it comes to doing things such as getting my hair done, going clothes shopping and similar things, I always invite Daisy, and we sneak out to pretend we're regular women who are not closely guarded most of the time. Daisy is a princess too, so she understands this better than anyone, but who would Wendy ask to go with her. She has a lot of siblings but they're all boys.

"Mind if I come along?" I feel that I'll be accomplishing more if I spend the day with Wendy than if I try to investigate something that everyone is set on hiding from me. I will still look into that matter, but for now I'll stay with Wendy.

Wendy's face brightens though she tries to act natural. "Sure! I mean, if you like want to," and with that, my plans for the day have been decided.

xoxox xox xoxox

I must admit the massage was simply heavenly, and the luxury treatment of having my nails done was wonderful as well. The sun is at its highest point and so is Desert Land's temperature, but the air conditioner has automatically been set higher so we don't feel the change.

Wendy wanted barbecue for lunch; then we'll go to her favorite ice-cream shop in Sky Land, via a warp pipe. With my recent unexplained liking for meat, I cleaned my plate of barbecue in no time and even had seconds. I'm not sure why my appetite has grown all of a sudden. It's as if I need to replenish energy I don't remember using up.

At noon Wendy and I headed off to Sky Land. The spa staff wasn't pleased that I was leaving, but they dared not say anything to provoke Wendy's anger. The trip through the warp pipe felt the same as before, I was falling, floating and flying all at once. I lost the notion of which way was up, and then I had already arrived in Bowser's Sky Land territory.

Wendy soon followed through the pipe and led the way towards the ice-cream shop, chatting about the handsome actors and singers she liked. She must have really been wishing to spend some time with another girl. Next time I go out with Daisy, I'll invite Wendy to come because we're getting along quite well.

We finally arrive at the ice-cream shop, receiving a few curious glances from the other customers. "I like have a private table over there." We go towards the back and sit down.

A few seconds later, a female shy away wearing pink comes to take our order. We look through the menu and reply at the same time, "strawberry special," then laugh at the coincidence.

The waitress leaves with our order and I smile remembering my never ending disagreement with Daisy about ice-cream, and how we always play-argue about it. "Next time you should come have ice-cream with Daisy and me. Then you can give strawberries the winning vote to break the tie with bananas, they're Daisy's favorite, but I think strawberries are the best."

Wendy laughs at the scenario, "strawberries are totally the best!" Then she realizes what I said about inviting her, "you mean like go to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Of course, you and your siblings are always welcome there."

"But not King Dad?"

"As long as he's not kidnapping me..."

"That's like hard." We both laugh at this.

Truthfully, I'm having fun. Soon the same pink shy away waitress arrives with the strawberry sundaes known as the 'strawberry specials'. A tall glass is filled with strawberry ice-cream and white cream, with several strawberries cut in half to be arranged as flower petals reminiscent of a desert flower, and strawberry syrup all over the delicious frozen treat.

I take a spoon full of ice-cream and bright it to my mouth, ready to enjoy it, but the sensation is not what I expected. The cold substance makes my throat feel as if it were on fire, which is a contradiction in itself. My distress is evident on my expression and watery eyes.

"Are you like choking or did you just get a really bad brain freeze?"

I close my eyes tightly and try to resist the unpleasant sensation without causing too much trouble.

"Peach?"

I force myself to smile to ease the worried Wendy who must have really through I was choking on ice-cream, of all things. "Brain freeze," I manage to choke out the words and Wendy shakes her head.

"I like never get that, because I can breathe fire and ice-cream melts in my mouth like right away." I convinced Wendy that there was nothing to worry about for now. But she will find it suspicious if I stop eating my ice-cream.

The little bells on the door softly rung as another customer came inside the shop. Mario had just arrived, completely oblivious to my presence at the shop as he headed to the counter to replenish his energy. I imagine he must have recently visited the Sky Land Castle, only to find I wasn't there.

"Like get down!" Wendy insisted.

But I would feel silly hiding from Mario. "It's just Mario, there's no need to hide."

"He's interrupting," Wendy crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Why don't we all eat together?" I suggest.

"Wouldn't that like make me a traitor?"

"Don't you love being mean?"

Wendy grins mischievously, "good point," maybe my convincing argument wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Peach!" Mario has finally noticed my presence, he comes over and his stomach growls. "What are you doing here?" Mario glanced at Wendy, "with her," then his stomach growled again. "Let's go home and eat."

"Actually I was thinking we could eat something while we're here; the three of us together." Mario gives me a surprised look, but his stomach protests again and he sits down next to me, across from Wendy. "Here, you can eat this while you wait for your order." At least I found a way to get rid of the ice-cream I can no longer enjoy, without causing unnecessary worries. I'll have to see a doctor when I got home, a doctor who is honest with me, and that might be hard to find.

Mario accepts the strawberry special, which comes as no surprise because he never denies food, and starts eating it while casting suspicious glances at Wendy. I can tell that Wendy is playing with her pink cell phone under the table, but I don't know who she's texting or why.

The same pink shy away came by to take Mario's order, and a few minutes later, a large bowl of ice-cream, big enough to occupy half the table, was brought over carried by three shy away. By then Mario had finished the strawberry special and started on his 'super multi-flavor' right away.

The large bowl included ice-cream in a variety of flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, cookies and cream, mint, cake, cookie dough, and many others. The toppings were also varied, everything from syrup and cream, to bananas and strawberries, to peanuts and rainbow sprinkles. While Mario looked like he had fallen in love with the ice-cream, Wendy held a mischievous gaze.

Mario began to devour the ice-cream; then suddenly stopped. "Hot... hot!" He threw his head into the bowl.

"Wendy what's going on?" I take it this is different from the burning sensation the ice-cream gave me. That was just me, but clearly this time the problem lies with the ice-cream, not with Mario.

"Those red chilies look just like strawberries if they're hidden well enough." Wendy grins at Mario, whose face is covered in ice-cream, and laughs victoriously. "I love being mean!"

"You ruined my meal," Mario sounds terribly offended.

Wendy continues to grin mischievously, "not yet," and she snaps her claws, "now your meal is ruined!"

A gray mouse wearing sunglasses, despite being indoors, hops onto his table next to ours and grabs a handful of banana split, "food fight!" Several other mice, shy guys, shy away, koopas, goombas and paratroopas join the first mouse in throwing a variety of frozen treats at Mario.

"Wendy, tell them to stop!" I regret not being able to stop them myself, but this is Bowser's territory, so it makes sense that they would listen to the Koopa Princess instead of me.

"Why would I do that?" A strawberry covered in cream come flying towards Wendy and hit her on the side of her head. "Who threw that?" She roars grabbing one of her own strawberries and throwing it in the direction from where the attack came.

While the ice-cream shop's employees desperately try to calm the crowds, the food fight continues to escalate as more customers join in. The little bell on the door, that signals the arrival of a new customer, is hardly audible over the angry shouts and amused laughter that fill the ice-cream shop.

"Peach?" I know that voice. Bowser must have returned from whatever business he needed to take care of, only to find that I was no longer at the spa in Desert Land. He must have interrogated a few people and tracked me here.

A banana goes flying and hits Bowser right on the nose. He roars loudly as he spots Mario, who is actually not to blame for the banana, but I'm not sure who threw it in the middle of this chaos. "Take this you pesky plumber!" Bowser takes a forgotten ice-cream cone that was abandoned to melt on a nearby table, and throws it at Mario.

Mario accepts the challenge and starts throwing ice-cream back, while Bowser orders more frozen ammunition to be brought. Surprisingly, Bowser isn't using his fire breath. It's as if there's an unspoken agreement that ice-cream will be the only weapon of this battle.

"This is like totally out of control!" Wendy finally admits.

"That's what I thought from the start. Let's get out of here." I feel guilty for leaving Mario and Bowser like this, but when they're locked in a fight, however childish it may be, there's no talking them out of it.

Wendy and I snuck out of the ice-cream shop by the back door. My hair and dress are covered in ice-cream and Wendy's funny little dance hints at what she soon announced, "I got ice-cream inside my shell! I need something else to wear like now. I know a place that sells shells and dresses. Let's go!"

I follow Wendy towards an elegant boutique, unable to ignore the strange looks we're getting as we walk down the street. The boutique has shells, dresses, bows and ribbons displayed behind glass in the front entrance. A female koopa wearing a shiny red shell and matching bow tied to her brunette hair, greets us at the door as we enter. "Princess Wendy, and what a surprise Princess Peach is here as well. Welcome!"

I smile and nod, a little too aware of the chocolate ice-cream stains on my dress. Wendy looks around while asking, "got anything new and like worth it?"

"Oh yes, we received a new shipment yesterday, this way." The koopa in the red shell leads us towards another room, which seems to be exclusive to certain customers.

While Wendy is looking at some shiny new shells, my attention has been captured by a lovely pink fabric, but it is not like my usual dresses at all, save for the color. It is a kimono of soft pink, slightly paler than my dress, adorned with red rose petals that accumulate at the bottom of the skirt and long sleeves, and a red waist bow.

"Would you like to try it on?" The boutique's owner asked.

"Yes but..." I look at my stained dress.

"You can get cleaned upstairs," the red shelled koopa offers.

"That would be great, thanks." I dare not touch that delicate fabric unless I'm clean and in no danger of staining it.

The owner takes the kimono and leads the way upstairs and down a hall past a living room. This must be her house above the store. "Here's the bathroom," she gently sets the Kimono inside. "Fell free to use anything here, princess. I'll be downstairs."

xoxox xox xoxox

I'm wrapped in a towel, in the process of drying my hair after taking a quick shower, when there's a knock on the door. "Are you like going to stay in there forever? Good thing there's like a billion bathrooms at home."

"I'm almost done!" I quickly dress and exit the bathroom, leaving it free for Wendy to use.

Forty-five minutes later, and she thought I was slow; Wendy finally emerged out of the bathroom in her new shell. It was hard to tell if it was pink, red or in-between, the color changed with the light holding every iridescent shade of pink and red. Wendy also changed her bow, from pink with white dots, to pink with red dots.

By now my hair, though still a bit damp; has dried sufficiently to be pulled back and held with a hair stick that looks like a realistic rose. "Aren't we a little too dressed up?"

"It fits the occasion, but it's like too early so we should wear something else until later," Wendy's reply makes me curious.

"What occasion?"

"Counting yesterday King Dad has ki-er... I mean, he has like brought you over for the hundredth time. I wasn't supposed to tell you, but you like almost left with Mario. You have to stay for the celebration. King Dad doesn't even know it's the hundredth time; Kamek was like the only one who remembered and wanted to do something special. Everyone is getting things ready in Neon Castle," Wendy revealed.

"It's been a hundred times..." I shouldn't be so surprised since Bowser has been, as Wendy put it, bringing me over about every three months or so during all my life. I just didn't think anyone was keeping count, but if anyone did, it would be Kamek. "Well, since everyone made an effort prepare the celebrating, I'll go too," even if I'm not sure this is something I should be celebrating.

Wendy and I choose some less fancy clothes and shell to wear until then, and the kimono and shiny shell are wrapped and placed in boxes to be taken to Neon Castle by Cloud Delivery Service, the shy away delivery service that usually delivers Wendy's purchases from this store.

We're leaving the store when a familiar voice calls. "I found you!" And Bowser rushes down the street towards us.

"Bowser, what happened? Where's Mario?"

He frowned at my question, "we ran out of ice-cream to throw at each other because it melted, then we couldn't find you anywhere and raced out to search for you. I found you first." Bowser's mood seemed to improve again as he smiled proudly of his accomplishment.

"I'll like leave the two of you alone now; then we can all have dinner together at the Neon Castle at like seven thirty." Wendy made her escape, after giving me a clear hint that I was expected to keep Bowser busy until the time of the party.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own the Nintendo games or characters. I own my original characters Keres and Skyri but not the Nintendo concepts. I'm using Wendy's cool "like" speech in this story too. I first saw it in Razzi's "Change of Heart" and later in several other stories from different authors so I might as well join them.

About Chapter 2, in case you didn't catch the reference, which was admittedly a little vague, those were cactuars decorating the spa doors. You know; the cactus things from Final Fantasy, because slipping in little references here and there is fun. Peach and Wendy's ice-cream was designed to look like the strawberry sundaes Dante often eats in the Devil May Cry anime series. Most of the references hidden in this chapter were a little hard to catch so congratulations if you caught any of them. The last reference was the only easy one; Cloud Delivery Service is a reference to Strife Delivery Service from Final Fantasy VII, which is super easy to catch since his full name is 'Cloud Strife'.

xoxox xox xoxox

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	2. Chapters 3 and 4

Undying

Chapter 3: One Hundred Escapades

"I'll like leave the two of you alone now; then we can all have dinner together at the Neon Castle at like seven thirty." Wendy made her escape, after giving me a clear hint that I was expected to keep Bowser busy until the time of the party.

What have I gotten myself into? Wendy was gone before I could say anything, and Bowser's thoughts were written all over his face. He wants this to be a date. I can't just abandon Mario who is searching for me, but I also told Wendy I would go to the celebration. Somehow I can't picture myself telling Mario that I'm going to celebrate being kidnapped for the one hundredth time, and I certainly can't picture him happily tagging along, very much less, Bowser happily allowing him to come.

I look at Bowser, I have been so focused on my thoughts that I blocked out all sounds. It's similar to putting a TV on mute. He's talking, I know he is, but the sound escapes me. This is one of those hard choices my father mentioned, when there comes a time that solving a disagreement in a way that satisfies everyone becomes impossible. Now it's up to me to find the happy medium, if it even exists.

There is the one hundredth kidnapping, or visit, to say visit sounds much nicer, even if that's not quite what it is. I know spending time with me is important to Bowser and I don't want to take away the celebration from the koopalings, but I can't just run away from Mario.

But Mario likes adventure, he enjoys the search, he has mentioned it before. Besides, I could make things up to him when I get home. Alright then it's decided, I'll attend the party for the koopalings' sake, then make it up to Mario, but he doesn't have to find out why I'm giving him a special treat; which leaves me with the question of how to stay hidden until the celebration.

As we walk down the street, I search for ideas in the environment around me. Then the answer comes in the form of a poster advertising the millionth sequel, or maybe remake, of a classic movie. "Let's watch a movie."

Bowser stops mid word, in whatever he was saying that I was too distracted to catch. "You want to watch a movie with me?"

I nod; it's just a movie, "yes."

I'm not surprised that Bowser goes inside the movie theater without a ticket, and I'm not surprised that a screening room is automatically reserved for us. It's best to hide alone anyway, since it would be hard to hide among the crowds, because Bowser is near impossible to hide. Not only because he is tall but he has a strong presence that people simply cannot overlook.

I'm also not surprised when he buys me lots of treats but I am a little surprise by what he offers me. It's some kind of cross between pop-corm and meat, or more accurately, popcorn shaped meat with butter. Bowser hands me a big bucket of the meat popcorn and a large Koopacola, with the certainty that I'll like it even if it's so different from the caramel popcorn I like so much.

He was right; I do like meat popcorn. I thought the carnivore menu was made more for koopas than humans, but lately my appetite has decided to change its ways and turn into something entirely new.

Of course, the movie didn't pass without Bowser trying to hold my hand every ten minutes or so, but I was busy eating the meat popcorn, I had about four of those big buckets. I need to make an effort to eat normally again before I get sick.

The movie consumed a good portion of the afternoon, but there is still a few hours to go before it's time to head to Neon Castle. I'm not sure why, but I feel odd, as if I can't stay still. Maybe it's because I spent the past two hours sitting down, and I haven't gotten much exercise during the day, so all my energy is piling up. "I want to play tennis," it's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of moving around and putting all this extra energy to good use.

"We'll do anything you want, let's go to the Sky Land castle and play there." Bowser is enjoying this date, though I really shouldn't be calling it a date. Honestly, I'm enjoying it too if not for the occasional guilt because I'm entertaining Bowser while the celebration of my kidnaps is being prepared, all the while ignoring Mario who is somewhere looking for me.

I've tried to console myself in thinking that if I run away to find Mario, Bowser will simply chase me and take me to the nearest castle where I will be held prisoner, so there is nothing I can do. But that's only an excuse, I'm not in a castle right now, we're walking out in the open and I could trick Bowser and run away, but I still follow him without the smallest intentions of running away.

The Sky Land castle is more populated in terms of guards than the Grass Land castle had been. There are less koopas through, and more shy guys, shy away and snifits. I am led to my usual guest room in this castle; I have one in each of Bowser's castles, so I can change into my tennis clothes, as I also have an entire wardrobe in each of those guest rooms.

After I changed, I tied my hair in a ponytail and left the room to find Bowser waiting in the hall, exactly where I expected him to be. I smile at him and see the vast happiness he reflects when he smiles back and compliments me, "you look beautiful" then offers his arm.

I can't help it but to giggle, "thanks," it feels like he's escorting me to a ball, but we're actually only going to the tennis court.

When we arrive at the tennis court, the snifits have already finished making some final preparations. There are tennis rackets placed on the benches beside the court; a pink one with jewels on the frame for me and a green one with spikes for Bowser.

Bowser presents me with my racket as if giving me an award and this is when my laughter surpasses a mere giggle, earning me a happy yet puzzled look from Bowser. "Since I got ready for tennis, it felt like being in an award ceremony. It was as if we were walking down the red carpet on our way to the tennis court and now I have been presented with an award." I hold my racket as one would hold a trophy, "I want to thank all my fans and everyone who made this possible!" I take a vow and blow a kiss at the imaginary audience.

I must admit there is something very satisfying about hearing Bowser's laughter. It's not his usual 'bwahahaha', but real amused laughter. It's even more satisfying to know that I was the one who caused it, and it's contagious.

It takes us a few minutes to calm down after laughing so hard and we start our game of tennis. I have the first serve. I know Bowser has excellent returns but if I hit the ball to the opposite corner of his side of the court, he might not reach it fast enough. I know this, yet I serve the ball straight at him, hitting it as hard as I can, just to get things started.

The tennis ball rockets away from my racket, which creaks and breaks at the handle. The top piece of the racket goes flying and hits the ball, changing its angle. I don't even know how I was able to see all of this, because it happened in less than a split second. The ball's course was lowered, sending it to crash against the net, make a hole in it, and collide with Bowser's stomach, causing him to spit out a flame, which makes the net catch on fire.

"Bowser!" I quickly toss the broken racket handle aside, and run around the burning net. Bowser is clutching his stomach, all his muscles are tense and the bandages on his right arm become stained in red. "Your wound opened!" The ball didn't even hit his arm, but the tension must have been too much. I've always known Bowser is incredibly strong, but that doesn't make him invincible and we were just harshly reminded of that.

I don't understand how I was able to hit the ball so hard, but that is not my main concern at the moment. I help Bowser sit at one of the near by benches, while a team of shy away, led by a familiar koopa, run over with along hose to put the fire out.

A group of three shy guys, or should I say shy girls; dressed in white, with small red crosses on the forehead of their masks, rush over to us, carrying first aid kits. They promptly attempt to unwrap the bloody bandages to properly treat Bowser's wounded arm and wrap it with clean bandages; but Boswer pulls his right arm back, covering it with his left and growling, "don't!" He takes a few deep breaths, as the area in his stomach where the tennis ball hit him begins to bruise black.

"I'm sorry," I try to pry Bowser's uninjured arm away from the injured one. "Please let the nurses take care of your injury."

"Go inside Peach, have them show you the new games in the arcade room, we'll continue our tennis game soon." Bowser glares at the nurses warning them not to touch him. The three nurses stand frozen, awaiting orders.

"No," I refuse. "I'll stay with you, and you will stop being stubborn and let the nurses take care of you." There is a pause that carries more tension than I can describe, my heart beats faster, my head hurts, my eyes are irritated, and the scent of blood feels much stronger.

"Alright," Bowser concedes with a worried look on his face. The three nurses are now cowering behind their king and I don't understand why. It's almost as if I frightened them. "I'll go to the infirmary and I won't come out until I'm better. But only if you promise to go have fun, I won't let them give me any medical treatment otherwise."

I sigh, displeased but relived at the same time. "Why won't you let me stay with you?" He doesn't answer and I wonder if it's just his ego making him pretend to be invincible and driving him to hide his injury. "Fine, just make sure you let them take care of you." I feel that I have no choice but to agree. Besides, this is no time to argue. My eyes feel a little better, my heart is still beating fast, but not too fast, and my headache lessens.

"It's a deal, hey Yellow!" Bowser calls. The koopa helping the shy away clean up after the fire was put out rushes over.

"Yes sir?" Why was Keres called to this castle? Is it that he has gone up in ranks enough to follow Bowser to whatever castle he visits as part of his personal guards, or perhaps my guards?

"Show Peach the new games in the arcade." Bowser's wound has not stopped bleeding; I am worried and wish to go with him. But if I'm stubborn about our deal he will be stubborn about accepting medical attention.

Bowser leaves with the nurses and I follow Keres to the arcade room, while he makes an effort to comment on the nice weather. "How is Skyri?" I inquire.

Keres pauses, swallows hard and forces a smile, "she's doing fine." He's lying and it makes me I further question the authenticity of Skyri's note. It wouldn't be the first time someone lies to stop me from worrying.

Suddenly the realization hits me like a ton of bricks and know that Keres is part of this entire plot to keep me in the dark. I am more familiar with him and Skyri than I am with most other guards. He was brought here to help calm me, and to help trick me into thinking everything is okay. That was that was the real purpose of Skyri's note, to calm me, to deceive me. "Have you seen Gabriella lately?" I continued the small talk while we headed down the long hall, the walls adorned with statues and portraits of Bowser.

"I haven't heard from her for a while," this time Keres is telling the truth. Gabriella is a goomba who works as a maid in Bowser's castles. "You know how she was always dreaming about finding her prince charming; maybe she found him and is too busy to give anyone a call."

I have a bad feeling about this. Thinking about Gabriella's lack of communication reminds me of Violet, a mushroom maid who worked at home. I saw her one day right before being stolen away by Bowser, then when I returned, she was gone. I was told she went on vacation but she never came back. I suspected that she quit after becoming tired of the constant stress of being at risk of an attack from Bowser and his troops all the times. But looking back on it, I don't think that was the real reason.

I have come to realize that a lot more than I thought is being hidden from me and it's a very unpleasant feeling. "Be honest."

Keres stops, cold in his tracks, "Princess..."

"What's happening to Bowser? What kind of wound is that?" Keres avoids looking at me and I step in front of him. "Please, tell me."

Keres takes a few moments to think, and finally replies, "it's not my place to say, but please don't ask him now, he's very stressed."

"I know he's stressed; that's why I need to know what this is about. I need to know what's bad enough to cause Bowser all this stress and worries," I insist.

"I can't..." Keres stares at the floor; he holds an immense sadness, not only because of his king's situation, which remains unknown to me, but also a hidden sadness of his own.

I sigh and stop pressing the matter. "I'm sorry; I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want to help, I feel so useless."

"Oh no Princess, don't worry, your presence here makes King Bowser very happy. You are being very helpful!" But that alone is not enough for me.

Keres and I walk the rest of the way to the arcade in silence, while I get lost in my thoughts. I have been told about my presence before, about my charisma, my cheer, my good will, my calmness, my peace, my gentleness, and yet, that's not enough. I wish to use my head to solve problems instead of simply cheer for other people to solve them. I don't want to be a little girl anymore; I want to be seen as a capable woman.

"Here we are!" Keres opens the double doors and I'm drowned in colorful lights and an endless sea of game machines.

xoxox xox xoxox

Fifteen minutes passed and that was as long as I could wait in the arcade. I didn't play with anything, but instead watched Keres make a forced effort to prove how much fun the games were. After that I simply announced, "I'm going to see how Bowser is doing," and didn't leave any room for argument.

Keres made no effort to stop me, instead signaling the magikoopa out the door. Three of them had gathered there, forming a small triangle, their wands glowing dimly. I feel dizzy, but ignore the magikoopa and keep walking in the direction I think the infirmary is in. I'll have to be a little more insistent if I'm going to get any answers.

At the end of the hall there is a door that looks suspiciously similar to the arcade room door. I open it and find Keres inside, surrounded by the familiar game machines. I turn around and see the three magikoopa. I'm not sure how or when, but I must have turned back with the illusion of walking in a straight line. "Stop it!" My eyes are irritated, my head hurts and my heart beats faster.

The glow of the three magikoopa's wands increases, shining blindingly bright and I make a run for it. I don't know why they want to keep me here so badly to the point of using magic, but I will find out. I feel my heart beat so fast, it makes a buzzing sound. My head continues to pound as if being relentlessly hit by a hammer and my vision blurs for a moment, before becoming crystal clear again.

I see the world with more detail than I thought the human eye could see. My heart is beating so fast that I can no longer distinguish the sound of one beat from another. My head hurts more than ever; it makes me want to scream in agony, but my throat burns and I can't find my voice.

"Put her to sleep!" I'm not sure who spoke those words, if Keres or one of the magikoopa, or someone else who had arrived unnoticed by me. But that is exactly what happened; I was thrown into a deep slumber.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Where am I?" I'm disoriented, confused and sore.

"You're in a room in my Sky Land Castle," Bowser is sitting on a large purple chair next to my bed, the top of his chair is shaped like a pair of horns and it has red cushions.

The room's walls fade from purple on top, to pink at the bottom. The floor is made of white marble; there are purple flowers all around, and pink curtains with purple and green polka dots. "This isn't my usual room."

"Someone spilled something in your room, it smells weird," Bowser spoke with the certainly of a well practiced excuse.

I sat up slowly and breathed deeply, closing my eyes and trying to remember the last thing that happened. "Your injury, Keres, the magikoopa!" I try to say too many things at once and nothing is fully spoken.

"There's nothing wrong with me, it was just a scratch," Bowser's bandages have been replaced, he is not bleeding anymore. "You fainted."

"I didn't," I'm tired of being lied to. "I didn't faint, I was put to sleep."

"You were dreaming."

The truth is that the strange experience did feel similar to a dream, or nightmare, but too many strange things have been happening so I can't disregard it. "I hate being lied to." I get up and walk towards the door.

"Peach!" Bowser rushes after me. I stop to look at him but he doesn't proclaim innocence to my accusation. Instead he tells me "I would never hurt you."

It's obvious that no one is going to help me get to the bottom of this. Everyone will simply stand in my way to discovering the truth. "I understand," what I understand is that the only way for me to find out what is happening is to do it in secret. "I trust you," I trust you to stay out of my way if I trick you into believing I'm willing to accept ignorance.

Bowser's smile makes me feel guilty, but it's about time I put my foot down, even if it means sneaking around doing secret investigations.

"What time is it?" It's dark, the source of light is no longer the sun but artificial light.

"Around eight," Bowser replies.

Bowser appears to be well informed about what is happening, but he won't breathe a word. They might know far less about this, if anything at all, back home in the Mushroom Kingdom. That is actually a good thing, because if nobody knows that something is happening, I might be able to figure it out before they start to hide it from me. I'll see a doctor when I return home, and it won't be the family doctor. I'll find a doctor who is honest with me. Until I can speak to such a doctor, my investigation won't move forward.

For the time being I will try not to disappoint the koopalings. We're already late for the celebration, but I hope they didn't cancel it. They must have looked forward to this and I want them to enjoy it. Besides, it might make me feel better if I do something for Bowser to make up for what happened during tennis.

"Let's go to Neon Castle." Though Bowser looks a little unsure, despite knowing that we were supposed to be there at least half an hour ago; he doesn't deny my request.

xoxox xox xoxox

"King Dad! Mama Peach!" Morton runs over to us as soon as we cross Neon Castle's main entrance, it's almost nine by now. "I have a story to tell you, but Wendy said she had to tell Mama Peach something, so Mama Peach you should go to Wendy so she can tell you what she was going to tell you, while I tell King Dad the story!"

"Right, I'll go talk to Wendy," I slip away, as Bowser gives me a look that begs for me not to leave him. "I'll see you again soon," I assure him and disappear down a long hall, then head up some stairs, until the sound of Morton's fast paced voice is no longer audible.

I find Wendy, just as she is heading down the hall in the opposite direction, wearing her shiny new shell. "You're like very late," far from being upset, Wendy sounds pleased.

"Something came up," my answer is purposely vague.

Wendy's grin widens, "tell me about it later, you need to get ready for the party like now," she leads the way to my room, placing my earlier purchase in my arms and insisting that I "like hurry."

I change in the attached bathroom, splashing some cool water on my face and washing away any trace of left over make-up. When I emerge in the main room in my new kimono, Wendy had picked out some matching make-up. I put on the new make-up and pull my hair back, wrapping it around the rose shaped hair stick, and applying some spray to keep it in place.

"Okay, we're like finally ready to start!" Wendy gives her approval.

Predictably, Bowser has become impatient and came to find me, with Morton following him and rambling endlessly. I can tell they're just down the hall by the sound of Morton's voice.

"Like shut up Morton!" Wendy runs out of the room to silence her brother.

"Aw my mission is done already?" Morton complained. "That was a really fast mission, why was it so short? It was still fun, but I like telling stories so I want to keep telling stories."

"Mission?" I hear Bowser inquire. I'm still inside my room while Wendy has gone out to the hall so Bowser hasn't seen me yet.

"We like have something special for you and Peach." Wendy must have covered Morton's mouth.

I can imagine Bowser's expression. "Special?" I come out of the room and Bowser stares at me lovingly. "Beautiful, this is the best surprise ever."

"This isn't even the surprise," when I get home I have a lot of work to do, but for now I'll enjoy my time here. "Today is a special occasion."

Wendy goes on ahead, leading the way to the party room, while Bowser and I follow. "You're here, that is a special occasion."

It amuses me to think that Bowser said exactly what this is about, but he has no idea. "I guess you could put it that way."

A few minutes later, we arrive at the party room, it's quite large; enough to fit a royal ball, but this is a smaller more personal party with just the koopalings, Kamek, Kammy, Bowser and I. In the center of the room there is a table with a banquet and a large cake. There is a banner hanging overhead with the same greeting that the koopalings shout out written on it "happy 100th romantic escapade!"

I feel my face turn red. It's supposed to be my one hundredth kidnapping, and it's not supposed to be something to celebrate about, but here I am.

"It's been a hundred?" Bowser sounds as surprised as I was when I first found out.

Kamek comes over with two cups, "let us make a toast," then his stomach growls, "and have some dinner."

The atmosphere is light and cheery when Bowser and I accept the cups. It's so comfortable in fact, that I don't even mind making a toast to Bowser's words. "For another hundred romantic escapades, a long happy life together and finally going on a honey moon one day!"

"Cheers!"

When we sit around the table, we're so similar to a normal family, although a big one, I almost forget where I am and who I'm with. The table is full of happy chatter, the sound of silverware on plates and the occasional request, or demand, for something to be passed. I'm sitting next to Bowser and he hasn't stopped smiling.

Dinner goes by relatively uneventful, save for the event of it being so normal. Kammy cuts the cake and passes out slices, making sure to give Bowser a very big piece. The cheerful voices continue, and I catch bits and pieces of conversations, mostly about Bowser and me; feeling my face turn red, and noting Bowser's constant smile.

Soon after dessert, a group of musicians occupied the concert area, with Ludwig conducting the music with a pained expression. He favors classical music, but the melody is anything but. His siblings must have forced him to accept this.

After a few minutes, Ludwig gave up on conducting, since the electric guitar was doing the opposite of what he indicated, the battery was focused on the drums and knew of nothing more, and the others simply did not understand Ludwig's signals.

"You can't appreciate good music," Roy teased.

Ludwig looked offended, "that is not music."

But they both agreed when Roy mentioned that "at least it's loud enough to cover up Morton's voice."

Morton's endless chant of "dance! Dance! Dance!" continued while Lugwig nodded, acknowledging Roy's point.

However, the blue haired koopaling clarified, "it is still not music but merely a useful noise."

Kamek and Kammy looked a little silly trying to dance to a song they could hardly keep up with. They had no idea what they were doing, but they wanted to prove that they were not too far behind the times.

Truthfully, none of us had the slightest idea what we were doing, so when Bowser asked me to dance, we just jumped around. I stopped for a moment and took off my shoes, then kept jumping. The floor would shake every time Bowser crashed down on it, until it cracked.

That last tremor was so strong, that the rock band stopped playing, and a dense silence invaded the large room, while we all stared at the crack on the floor. Then unexpectedly, my hair stick fell out, sounding off much louder than it should have; not even the hair spray could keep it in place with all the jumping.

Bowser picked up the rose hair stick and gave it to me. I smiled and put it on my waist bow, because if I put it on my hair again, it would inevitably fall once more. "We should be careful, but other than that, let's continue the party!"

"Yeah party!" Bowser was quick to agree. The rock band started playing again, much to Ludwig's regret, and we all started jumping once more, though Bowser tried to keep his jumps as gentle as possible.

The party continued until we exhausted our energy. By the stroke of mid night, the rock band was ready to collapse, the younger koopalings had been taken to bed and the rest of us were exhausted.

Kamek and Kammy sat down next to each other to rest and they fell asleep leaning on each other. Ludwig would never admit it, but once he understood that there was no secret formula to dancing to this music and all he had to do was keep moving, he actually had fun. It would be his own little deep, dark secret.

When we regained enough energy to get up from the floor, Bowser and I went out for some fresh air. The moon was full and a soft breeze blew. "This was the best party ever; we should do it again soon." Bowser was practically glowing with happiness.

"It was fun, but you don't need to kidnap me another hundred times for us to have a party."

"They're romantic escapades, not kidnappings," Bowser reminded me.

I laughed nearly out of breath, still recovering from all the exercise I got. "No more kidnappings. I have a lot of work to do when I go home. I want to be a real princess, one who knows what is happening in her kingdom and helps guide it to prosperity."

"Everyone loves you," Bowser assures me, though I don't really need to be reminded. Everyone is always kind to me, and protective, too protective. "I love you," he adds.

"I know," I'll just have to show them what I can do. Then I'll actually earn the admiration I don't think I deserve right now. One day, I'll be able to call myself a real princess. One day people will come to me to help them solve problems, instead of hiding them from me. One day, I will truly be trusted and I will work hard to make that day come soon.

Chapter 4: The Chaos Before the Storm

I was rescued, and somehow it was more painful than usual. I used to feel good being rescued and returning home. Admittedly I'm glad to be able to go back to work, but to say I was rescued doesn't sound nearly as pleasant as it used to. I was never in any danger, so I wonder if it's even right to use such a word.

As pleasant as the Koopa family has become to me, the problem wasn't leaving, the problem was being rescued. I'm thankful to Mario, but as I mix the batter for his chocolate cake, I realize that I shouldn't have needed his assistance in returning home. If I am in such good terms with the Koopa family, then why not come and go without all of this... drama? I sigh, that's another thing that will need to change before I stop being little miss helpless princess.

The cake batter is done and I pour the rich chocolate into the mold. I set it in the oven and allow it to be baked, returning later, with no significant events happening in that lapse of time. I take the cake out of the oven and let it cool, then add the frosting, delicious sugar. Once the brown has been covered in white, I add the strawberries on top, the biggest and juiciest I could find. Pleased with the cake, I call Mario and invite him over for a treat.

Life goes on as always. Mario came over that afternoon, he was very happy with the cake and my guilt was put to rest. He stayed over until dinner and ate with us. He left just before it became late enough for sleep to come.

The next day I was up bright and early. I made my way to the laboratory to find it in working order. "Welcome Princess, how may I help you?" The security guard at the front entrance asked.

It took me a moment to stop staring at the Toad blankly, his blue uniform matching the blue dots on his mushroom, official plate shining on his shirt. "I would like to see how the laboratory's activities have been progressing?" This was supposed to be my answer, but it came out with the tone of a question.

"Oh yes, come in!" The officer leads the way, repeating my request to other employees.

Hands are shook, names are exchanged, and soon I'm off in a tour of the laboratory, complete with lab coat, shoe covers and silly white hat, leaving my crown in the officer's care. I must look like a mushroom with my hair stuffed into the hat, but this is part of the procedures and I don't want any special treatment.

I'm only half listening as my tour guide, one of the scientists who works here, explains what kind of experiments and tests are being done in each room. My father did this, he gave me the credit, but he was the one who got this place up and running where I only brought forward an idea, and I'm sure everyone knows that truth.

My attention focuses on a specific room as we pass it. Unlike the others, it is not occupied by a multitude of lab equipment with Toad scientists running about. This room, the room where I fainted the last time I was here, is empty save for a small silvery, square machine in the middle, about one foot wide and another foot tall. "What about this room?"

"It's being cleaned. For some reason all the experiments there were contaminated, even if the room is apparently sealed. We think that humidity was trapped into this room, but that machine should take care of it," the scientist assured.

I nod politely and take his word for it, even if I feel as if I shouldn't. I have a feeling in the back of my head as if I know something I shouldn't know. It's similar to having a dream and not being able to tell it apart from hidden memories, because they mix and blur, and nearly become pieces of the same hidden truth. Maybe I'm just getting carried away.

I finished the tour, thanked the guide and left. Back home, I'm sure they expected me to stay in the laboratory for far longer, but I have a secret agenda to take care of, a doctor's appointment.

Well, actually, to say I have an appointment would be a lie, as I have not spoken to the doctor or anyone representing the doctor. However, I happen to know where there is a doctor, and I'm hoping that there are not too many people waiting in line, because I fully intend to cut.

I know I'm contradicting myself by saying I don't want special treatment, then asking for special treatment in another situation; but this is the only way. I must not be found, and the chances of that are high if I wait in line.

I caught a taxi that took me to the doctor's office, to the back of the office to be specific and with a generous amount of coins the driver was silenced. From the back door, a very surprised nurse let me in. "I was a little startled at first, when I heard someone knocking on the back door," she admitted.

"I'm sorry to come in this way, but I didn't want to have too much attention." I'm not sure if she understands or if she's getting a completely wrong idea, but I don't like her mischievous laughter.

I feel as if I'm being watched, and glance at the half open door in a corner of the back room, which is mostly occupied by boxed medial supplies, wrapped in plastic. There are three doors connected to this white tiled, dimly lit room. One of them is the back door, leading outside; opposite to it is a door leading into a hall; and in the left corner there is another door that from what I can see since it is only open a few inches, leads to some stairs.

This building is considerably big, large enough to host the spacious clinic in the first floor, and possibly the doctor's home on the second... and by the time I'm done with my silly distraction, the nurse is shoving a pregnancy test into my hands and leading me down the hall towards another door.

"We'll do an official exam of course, and it will be detailed. But this is the latest instant pregnancy test on the market, just so you can have a clear idea right away. The bathroom is right there. I'll inform the doctor that you came, I'll be back in a few minutes." Before I can say anything to defend my reputation, the nurse is gone.

I squeeze the pregnancy test in the center of my gloved right hand, glaring at the inanimate object as if it was to blame. Of course, if I don't go to my family doctor then I must be pregnant and trying to hide it from my father, and the entire kingdom for that matter. With the way that rumors travel, there will be all sorts of crazy stories by the end of the day.

I let a deep breath escape me and wait for the nurse to return. I'm not even going to try to pretend to be interested in the pregnancy test.

When the nurse returns, she looks at the unopened test and frowns. "I'll explain how to use it."

"No thanks," I returned it to her. "I'm not pregnant; I'm just here for a check up." I can imagine that if by some twist of fate that test was defective and I had to take a second one to prove that I'm not expecting a child, instead of believing that I didn't have a child in the first place, it would be assumed I had an abortion in the five minutes in between. Because when ever room was left for rumors, however ridiculous and impossible, the rumors appeared and spread faster than a wild fire.

The nurse lightly shook her head. "Alright, the doctor is almost done with his current patient-"

"But we can't keep the Princess waiting," I jumped at the sudden voice behind us, having disregarded the feeling of being watched before, and quickly turned around. "Sorry to startle you," the one who spoke was a mushroom man, wearing the classic doctor outfit including dress clothes complete with a tie and white lab coat. His mushroom was black where most are white, and it had green spots. "I am Dr. Hecc T. brother of Dr. Heal T." He looked to the nurse as if she were nothing more than a bothersome pest. "You may tell my brother that I will take care of the Princess' examinations upstairs."

The nurse looked as if she were about to protest, but a glare from Dr. Hecc T. silenced her before she could produce any sounds. She looked away, as if she simply had to break eye contact with him and replied, "yes, sir," leaving hastily.

"This way, Princess," I quietly follow Dr. Hecc T. with cold chills running up and down my spine.

I only nodded in response, I could do nothing more. There is something about this man that frightens me, and I feel incredibly silly being afraid of someone less than half my size.

Upstairs there is a dark thin hall with doors on both sides. One of those doors leads to a small white room with an examination table and a cabinet full of basic medical equipment. "Please have a seat," Dr. Hecc T. motions towards the only chair, there is no desk, but he takes a clipboard and pen from the cabinet. "I'm sorry about the accommodations, or lack there of, but we can at least avoid the crowds up here."

"It's fine," I finally find my voice as I let myself fall into the chair. "I'm grateful for that, and I will be most grateful for your honesty."

"Of course," the doctor assured. Strange, the expression on his face is similar to that of someone who knows what will be said before it is spoken. Regardless, he asks, "how do you feel? Any unusual symptoms?"

"Yes, my eyes become irritated sometimes and I get very strong headaches and fevers. At the same time my heart beats faster than normal and my appetite has changed. I've been eating more meat and there are foods that no longer taste right, such as ice-cream for example," I explain.

Dr. Hecc T. nods and takes notes. "It sounds like you caught that epidemic that's been hitting Sarasaland, the symptoms fit, but let's have a blood test just in case."

"Sarasaland?" I repeat while the doctor searches for a needle in the medical cabinet. He starts to tie a plastic band around my upper arm then unwrap the plastic around the needle while I remove my left glove. "What's happening in Sarasaland?" Why didn't I hear about this? I know that I only came back recently, but still...

"Oh it's regrettable," but Hecc T. doesn't sound regretful at all. I feel the needle go into my arm as he continues "it's quite the outbreak, so many cases were reported in a mere few hours. They were all in the early stages of development, of course. The news of the strange symptoms was spread by the televised media and more people started to arrive in the emergency rooms when they recognized the symptoms. The illness itself has not been identified and it might take a while before a cure or even a treatment is developed."

My face has paled considerably. "This outbreak," the all too suspicious outbreak, "has it happened anywhere besides Sarasaland?"

"Not yet, but it most likely will," Dr. Hecc T. finished taking the blood sample. "But don't worry; humans are exceptionally strong when it comes to that virus."

"Virus?" For such a sudden outbreak, that I have not even heard of, they were quick to conclude that it was a virus and that humans are strong against it.

Dr. Hecc T. grins for just a moment, "yes, it's quite the virus." I'm getting the cold chills again, does he sound proud? One thing is getting exited about having something new to research in the medical field, but his reaction feels wrong. "This blood sample should be enough. I can analyze it right here and have the results by tomorrow."

I find myself spacing out; I have a feeling that I have seen Dr. Hecc T. before, even if this is supposed to be our first meeting. My mind travels back in time to that room, the humid room, the room that wasn't in use in the laboratory. I see its ceiling and I see Dr. Hecc T. I don't know if somehow a dream is entering my mind even if I am awake, or if my strange illness is giving me hallucinations, but this feels like a buried memory I just dug up.

They say that when you fail to remember something, your mind subconsciously continues to search for the information even after you stop thinking about it. Sometimes the search is triggered without consciously thinking about it in the first place. Was that what happened to me? Did the very image of Dr. Hecc T. trigger this odd subconscious memory I somehow lost and recovered but didn't know I had in the first place?

The doctor has not inquired about my long silence, "how much?" I finally ask.

"Oh I could never change the Princess," his voice is arrogant and mocking.

Fuming I get up, put my glove back on, and mutter a well practiced, "thank you," followed by an equally automatic, "excuse me," then let myself out.

xoxox xox xoxox

The taxi has brought me back to the suspicious laboratory. The workers are surprised to see me, but this time I don't bother with all the procedures and no one dares to stop me as I rush towards the suspicious room. I turn the humidity absorbing machine off and try to focus my thoughts on finding anything suspicious while at the same time calming my wildly beating heart, it's quite the paradox I am attempting to accomplish. Staying calm is the key, this has happened before.

The startled scientists gather around at the door, one of them shyly speaking, "Princess?"

"There is something very suspicious about this room." It looks normal enough, but it's not, I know it's not.

"Yes," a confused scientist replies, "we suspect that the humidity-"

"No! It's not humidity, it's something else." I felt a tile break that time when I was first here, but when I woke up there were no broken tiles. If one of the tiles broke and was replace while I was out cold, which one was it? I examine the area around the machine that is supposed to rid the room of its humidity problem, then try to move it. This machine, though not too big, is incredibly heavy.

The surprised scientists gather around me, staring at the broken tile where the machine was. "The machine is heavy but that tile shouldn't have been broken," one of them comments perplexed.

I pick up a piece of the broken tile and remove my right glove to feel its surface, then repeat the action with one of the tiles still whole around it. "These tiles look similar but the material they're made of is different." The new tile, the one I suspect was hastily replaced, is weaker then the ones around it. The original tile broke because something made it brittle, but in their normal state these tiles should be strong.

"Look at that," one of the Toad scientists points out, "this must be why the room was so humid, there's water being filtered bellow the tiles." The scientists start to talk among themselves, about having the tiles removed to seal the floor and making this room usable. They speak of the tests and extra care that must be taken to ensure that the other rooms don't have the same problem. But all I can think of is about the tile that broke under my feet and was replaced.

The humidity absorption machine gave off heat and the tiles around the broken one are still warm. I try to move them and find they are not very firmly attached to the floor. The heat must have made them loose. I am able to remove only two, and instead of humid stone beneath them, I find humid wood. "I'm sure there must be something here besides this machine that can be used to heat the floor. Bring it now, I want these tiles removed, and the operations of this laboratory will be suspended until further notice."

"Princess!" The scientists are shocked, and though their tones are relatively soft, they protest.

"That's an order," I admit I never liked ordering people around, but this time it's needed, yet they only stand around shocked. "Your princess just gave you an order." I feel bad speaking this way, but it must be done, I have to get to the bottom of this, literally it seems.

"Yes, Princess!" The Toad scientists finally react and rush to do as I said.

xoxox xox xoxox

Lifting the tiles after applying heat was surprisingly easy. Whoever used the secret door hid it well, but made it so it was possible to access it in a relatively short time if one knew how. By now Toadsworth has been informed and he's currently arriving, out of breath. "Princess Peach Toadstool," he only calls me by my full name when he's upset. "I was so worried when they told me you ran in here shouting orders and acting completely unlike yourself."

"I'm fine, and I didn't run in shouting orders," although I did run in, and I did give orders, I did not shout. "I found something suspicious," I lifted the wooden door and looked at the darkness bellow.

"There's not supposed to be a basement," one of the scientists spoke.

"All the more reason to investigate why there is, or has there been an investigation already that I wasn't informed of?" I look at Toadsworth.

The elderly mushroom shakes his head but remains silent, so I pick up my skirt wrapping it around my legs and start to slide into the opening. This is when Toadsworth protests, "you can't go in there!"

"I'm going, it's the only way I'll know what's down here," my words carry a deep meaning. If an investigation is done, I will most likely not receive a full report. Ignoring the protests of Toadsworth and the scientists, I slide further down until my feet reach the ground bellow. "I need a light," I make it clear I'm not going back up until I investigate.

Toadsworth sighs and nods; then one of the scientists hands me a thin flashlight the size of a pen. It will just have to be enough. "I'm going too," Toadsworth announces, with as much determination to accompany me as I have to investigate.

I help Toadsworth down, placing him on the ground with ease. Though he is well into adulthood, he doesn't weight more than a human child. With the light in hand, I lead the way, bent over to fit in the low tunnel.

After walking for a few minutes, the air becomes thick and extremely humid. The scent is very unpleasant, but we press on. "I think we might be entering the old structure of Kero Swears before it was redirected."

"Then this portion shouldn't be in use?" I ask.

Toadsworth makes a pause before answering, as if I have completely missed what he was trying to say. "No it shouldn't be." Then he emphasized his point, "but this is hardly sanitary, not to mention stable."

"I've been in Kero Swears before; it's a shortcut to Tadpole Pond." The ceiling is no longer low, a fact that my back is thankful for, and the ground has faded into gray stones.

"The new facility is much cleaner, this one smells... dirty." the last word comes wrapped in uncertainty.

"It smells of fake flowers mixed with something unpleasant. But if this place isn't operational anymore, why would they bother using scented spray?" It only makes it more suspicious, and by the time we reach a wooden door, my curiosity forbids me from turning back.

"I don't like this," Toadsworth's nervousness increases with every step we take.

"Neither do I, but the truth isn't always pretty and I don't need to have it sugar coated," I open the door and enter the most horrific room I've ever seen. Toadsworth gasps and goes out cold at the door, but I hardly reason that he fainted when I tell him to "stay there" and rush towards the familiar goomba frozen in perfectly transparent ice.

Strange wires are attached to the ice cube, keeping it cool. Inside this frozen glass box is Gabriella. This is the reason why she stopped calling her friends; this is why I no longer saw her at Bowser's castles. She didn't quit, she didn't move away, she didn't find true love; she died. There she is, her head frozen inches above her body, without a single threat piecing them together.

"Gabriella... Gabriella!" I can only call her name and run deeper into this morbid place. My heart beats faster, my eyes are irritated, my head hurts, my throat feels sore and my mind is trying to go blank but I don't let it. "No! No! No!"

I see myself at Bowser's castle, I see myself running out of my room, but those dreams, no, those memories; the memories are blurry. I see something acid flying at Bowser, and he shields himself with his arm, the arm that was bandaged; the wound that bled when it should have healed. I see Skyri, and then, I wake from those thoughts and I see the truth before my eyes.

Deeper into this morbid place, there is a tank filled with green tinted water, bubbles swirling inside it. There is a mushroom girl inside, her once white mushroom is now brown and her once purple spots are black holes. Her skin is the color of dry straw, and her eyes are tightly closed. I knew this girl, "Violet..." She worked at the Mushroom Castle, I knew her; I spoke to her many times, "Violet!"

My vision is blurry, I continue screaming her name and then I see acid. There is acid being thrown against the glass, strange purple acid, but I'm too disoriented to know where it came from. "Violet, Gabriella, who else? Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did they have to die?" I screamed ignoring the pain in my throat, my broken voice echoing all around; then it all went black.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Peach! Peach!" I faintly remember Toadsworth's voice calling me. "Stop! Please Stop!" He was begging, he was scared, he was panicked. But those are only faint memories of the sound of his voice; I don't know what was happening.

When I finally opened my eyes I was in my room, back in the Mushroom Castle. "Peach," my father spoke gently. "Can you hear me, sweetie?"

"Yes," the images of Gabriella and Violet are forever engraved in my mind. "Violet, do you remember her?"

"Yes, but she left, she probably got tired of Bowser breaking in all the time." Does father truly not know about her dead body, or does he think I can be made to forget something like that.

"No, she's dead, I saw her. She was in a glass tank, dead, dried up, like a plant that's left out in the desert sun with no water for weeks," the desert... My eyes go wide and a million thoughts race trough my head. "Sarasaland! The outbreak, he knew about it, he knew about the illness!"

"Peach, honey calm down!" Dad looks very worried.

I lose control when I'm angry, that's how it has happened in the past. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself as much as possible. "I have a blurry memory of seeing Dr. Hecc T. at the laboratory in the room where the secret passage was found when I was first there. This memory didn't surface until I went for a check up at Dr. Heal T.'s office, but it was Dr. Hecc T. who took care of the examination."

My father's eyes are wide with worry, "you saw Dr. Hecc T.? Why didn't you go to the family doctor if you were not feeling well? When did this happen?"

"While I was with Bowser something strange happened, there was some kind of attack but somehow I slept through it. I have these strange pieces of memories, but it's all a blur. I think I might have been awake after all, but I wasn't injured, Bowser was, and his army... I went to see Dr. Kooheal, I think he told Bowser what was happening to me, or at least what he thought was happening, but they wouldn't tell me. They just kept trying to get me to stay calm and go on with my life accepting being ignorant about my own health." I feel angry again, my eyes are teary and my head pounds. I take deep breaths, feeling the beats of my heart. "Let me calm down, whatever happens, it happens when I'm angry."

My father nods, "yes, tell me everything in detail, just give me a moment, I need to speak to the guards. You said you saw Dr. Hecc T. at Dr. Heal T.'s office, when was that?"

"Earlier today," I reply.

"I'll be right back," my father exits the room for a few minutes and I catch bits and pieces of his conversation with the guards just outside my door. He tells them about Dr. Hecc T. and sounds urgent. Then soon returns and once again occupies the chair next to my bed. "Please continue."

"After I came home I was surprised to see the laboratory was already functioning. You did that, right?"

"Yes," my father admits, "it's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I wanted to be more involved. You're right though, the kingdom shouldn't need to wait for me." I take a deep breath, "after I visited the laboratory I went to see Dr. Heal T., I didn't try to talk to the family doctor because I wanted an honest answer about my health without any special considerations to stop me from worrying. As I said, Dr. Hecc T. was at the office and he did the examination. It was very short, just a few basic questions about my symptoms and a blood sample. He didn't give me any medicines, but said he suspected I caught an unknown illness that recently broke out in an epidemic at Sarasaland. Is that true?"

"No; or at least not that I know of. We haven't received any reports of there being an epidemic in Sarasaland or any of the allied kingdoms," my father's reply wasn't as calming as it should have been.

"I'll call Daisy and ask just in case," Hecc T. said it was on TV, so someone should have heard about it, and the news should have reached my father if it was true. But just to make sure, I'll call. For now, I continue my narration, this is the hardest part. "After I left Dr. Heal T.'s office, I returned to the laboratory because of a blurry memory of seeing Dr. Hecc T. there during my first visit, before my... leave of absence. I investigated the room where I fainted during that first visit and found a broken tile, which led to finding the secret passage to that place," I start to cry, abundant tears falling down my face.

"You don't need to continue," my father is pained seeing me this way.

"Toadsworth, is he alright? He was with me, where is he?" For a moment, I panic.

"He's fine, don't worry," dad is hiding something.

"Dad! Tell me the truth!" I insist.

"He's alive," dad assures me, "frightened, nervous and with a sky high blood pressure, but he is in a stable condition and recovering."

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Violet was there, dead inside a tank full of green water, she was dried up, even if she was in a tank of liquid, it was terrible. Gabriella, a goomba maid who worked at Bowser's castle was frozen, in pieces. Her head was..."

I don't even need to say what I mean; dad's expression tells me that he understands. "No more, Toadsworth saw that place before he fainted. You shouldn't have gone down there." Dad hugs me protectively, "don't think about those things Peach, don't. Just leave it to the police."

"No, I'm the princess and I need to be informed about what happens in my kingdom no matter how bad it is. Dr. Hecc T. is involved and you knew that, didn't you?"

I've never seen my father with such a defeated look. "Dr. Hecc T.'s illegal experiments were the reason there was an accident in that laboratory and why it was closed down. He was arrested to face a trial, but escaped the night before the trial was supposed to take place. His brother, Dr. Heal T. did not work in the laboratory, but he was interrogated about Hecc T.'s possible whereabouts. He was nervous during the entire interrogation, but the agents thought that was due to the shock of the accusations against his brother. His clinic and home were searched but nothing suspicious was found. Due to lack of evidence against Dr. Heal T., his office was not closed down."

"The old Kero Swears were sealed off when the new structure was finished, supposedly filled in with earth and stones to avoid having it collapse from lack of maintenance and affect the surface above it. I was informed that this was done, but today we found out that the old structure was merely sealed without being filled in. The construction company took the payment but didn't finish the job and legal action is being taken about that as well. The police is investigating the evidence bellow the laboratory and all its operations will remain shut down until further notice."

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own the Nintendo characters or the works references in this story. Only the plot itself is from my imagination.

About Chapter 3 If it feels that you've read the "I love you" and "I know" quotes before, it's because you have. Those last two quotes are an obvious reference to Razzi's Change of Heart, a story that I'm sure all the BowserxPeach fans on this site are reading. The movie Bowser and Peach watched is left up to interpretation. I thought of a few possibilities, but decided to leave the answer up to the reader. Meat popcorn is yummy, but I still like caramel best. The koopacola is mentioned in an old Mario comic titled "Fins and Roses". I'm pretty sure it can still be found online. The room Peach wakes up in at the Sky Land castle looks like the room Bowser is in during the pink pipe game in Mario Party Advance. Nope, I didn't make up such an odd room, Nintendo did.

About Chapter 4 Hecc T. is a pun on 'hectic' and Heal T. is obviously a pun on 'healthy' and a reference to a quote from Chrono Trigger's Doan "Heal-thy? Got a nice ring to it!" 


	3. Chapters 5 and 6

Undying

Chapter 5: The Eye of the Storm

I listened to all that my father said, made a pause to let it sink in and finally asked. "What did I do down there? I know I lost control, but I don't know what I did. Toadsworth woke up and started calling me, that's all I remember, and it's not clear. I need to know what's happening to me."

"From what I heard from Toadsworth you were crying and screaming panicked, then you fainted. But Toadsworth was unconscious for a while before that, and when he finally woke up and started trying to bring you back to your senses, the room was already partially destroyed by a purple acid substance."

My heart aches listening to my father's explanation. "It was me wasn't it?" I don't really expect a reply. There is so much that needs to be done. "I'm calling Daisy," first, I'll think of the safety of Sarasaland.

My father knows I will not settle for simply resting, so he hands me the phone so that I at least will stay in bed. I push the speed dial button and wait for Daisy to pick up. "Hello..." the voice is not her usual cheery self.

"Daisy? What's wrong?"

"Peach is that you? Everything is blurry I couldn't read the caller ID."

While Daisy speaks I hear someone in the background saying, "Princess, please go back to bed."

"Alright, alright, ow..." There is a pause then Daisy continued, "I have this killer stomachache, it was worse a few minutes ago but it's still pretty bad and it's making me light headed. What were you saying?"

It could be a mere coincidence that Daisy is sick, but the way things are going I won't disregard anything as a coincidence. "Is there an epidemic going on?"

"How did you know? Is it happening there too? A lot of people here are having stomach aches and they're saying it's the peaches. But the peaches we import from the Mushroom Kingdom are always great so I won't believe it." Daisy's speech is slower than usual and the cheerful spark is lost to a pained voice.

"Go to a doctor right away, it might be a virus, and just in case throw away the rest of the peaches." With so many dark secrets being discovered, I can't trust any product from the Mushroom Kingdom to be untainted right now.

"I don't think it's that bad."

"It is, I don't know exactly what's going on, but it's serious. Everyone who is having the same symptoms should go to a doctor right away." Daisy hates going to the doctor and only does so when she's feeling completely miserable. She's also stubborn about taking medications.

"Virus?" It all must sound too sudden for Daisy.

"Trust me, please go," I insist.

"Alright, if you say so, but you owe me a banana split for this." It feels like it's been years since the last time I smiled, and for a small moment I do. Daisy may be in pain, but she still keeps some of her cheerful humor hidden away somewhere.

"I promise I'll get you that banana split." My smile doesn't last as the harsh images return to my mind, Gabriella and Violet are dead. "I have some things to do, call me if anything unusual happens." I don't have time for a long explanation, and furthermore I lack the explanation itself.

"Alright, we'll talk later." Normally Daisy would ask for more details, and she would also bring up other topics. She would ask me what I've been doing, if I've been taken away by Bowser lately, if I've gone on any dates with Mario, if I've baked any cakes. She would even ask me about what I watched on TV. But I guess she's just too sick to be her talkative self, and it pains me.

"Goodbye," as I utter the words, I fear that they might come true, that this will be my final goodbye to Daisy, but I push such dark and depressing thoughts away then address my father. "Dr. Hecc T. mentioned an epidemic, a virus, and there has been an epidemic of stomachaches in Sarasaland. Somehow it doesn't feel like it fits, but it could be the start of a virus. What if he was talking about his plans as if they already happened?"

"Dr. Hecc T. has always had an ego, he was a genius but his ego was problematic from what I've heard from his co-workers. You mentioned peaches?"

"Yes, in Sarasaland they suspect the peaches imported from here are the cause of the stomachaches."

"Then we'll look into that as well."

"And I will go," I get out of bed and head for the door. The unpleasant scent of underground room was sticking to me still and my dress is torn and dirty, but I don't care.

"Peach you need to rest! You're pale and sickly; if anything you'll scare everyone!"

I sigh, feeling helpless, "I know the investigation can process without me, I know... But I should at least bathe and change."

"Yes of course, but after you're done go back to bed. I'll call a maid to change the sheets." My father looks apologetic as he leave, "I need to go tend to..."

He doesn't need to finish, I understand and nod, and when he closes the door after leaving, I feel an overwhelming sadness crash into me. I cry, abundant tears cascading down my face, but I do not scream or even speak, I only cry in silence, until I can finally pull myself together, get cleaned up and change.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Toadsworth..." The whisper that escapes me is full of pity and regret. I was not prepared to see this, to see Toadsworth in such a fragile state, with so many machines hooked into him, keeping him alive.

"Is that you, Peach? Good to see you back on your feet, good to see you..." Toadsworth's eyes are half open, as if it strains him to do just that. His voice is full of effort, and the sound is barely audible.

"Toadsworth, I'm sorry, I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise, I'll make it better!" Another promise I don't know if I can keep.

"I'm glad you're safe." I don't think Toadsworth fully understand what I'm saying. The medications must have gone to his head.

I nod and try to stop myself from crying. "Rest, go to sleep."

Toadsworth forced a smile and closed his eyes, his breaths becoming calmer as he drifts off to sleep.

xoxox xox xoxox

The police officers were surprised to see me march into the peach farm, but if there are this many officers around, some of them forensic investigators, then something must have been found. "Your report, please."

"Princess?" The head officer looks at me as if I spoke in an alien language.

"How is the investigation going?" I rephrase.

"Well..." I nod to encourage him to go on, while he shifts uncomfortably, "Toadallius, member of the royal council, has been found dead in a wooden peach crate that was nailed shut."

I gasp, is there no end to the murder?

"Traces of an unknown poison were found on the ground next to the peach trees and were suspected to be absorbed by the trees' roots. The farmers stated that normally the fruits wouldn't be affected to the point of causing serious damage when ingested. The tree should filter out the poison and in the worse case scenario wither. If the peaches were contaminated it should be easy to see. The peaches from the last shipment looked healthy and-"

"Recall them."

"Excuse me?"

"I want every peach from that last shipment disposed of."

"I ah..." the officer looked around, searching for someone. "Farmuri!" He signaled for another Toad to come over.

"Oh, the Princess is here!" The farmer Toad, Farmuri momentarily hid his distressed eyes behind an obligatory surprised smile.

"The peaches from the last shipment, can they be recalled?" I was quick to steer the conversation into topic.

"I'm afraid not, they must have already hit the Sarasaland market. People probably have already starting buying them. I've heard peaches are especially refreshing in such hot weather. But if this is about the poison near the trees then don't worry, the tree filtered it, the peaches were healthy."

Before Farmuri could continue, I interrupted. "I spoke to Princess Daisy of Sarasaland not too long ago. There's an epidemic of stomachaches going around and the peaches are suspected to be the cause. I want those peaches out of the market and disposed of, except for the samples that will be kept for a medical investigation."

Farmurai and the police have become busier, making calls and trying to fulfill my request. It shouldn't take too long for my father to find out I snuck out of the castle, but I needed to be here, I won't sit by and watch things fall apart while doing nothing to stop it.

After the officer finishes his calls, I ask "what is the full report about Toadallius?" Even if it's not connected with the current case, Toadallius is, was, a member of the royal council and I need to know the truth behind his tragic death.

"We don't have any clues yet, there are no reasons why anyone would hold a grudge against him, he's not linked to any past records, nothing. We'll have to wait for the report after the body is examined." The officer has gotten over his shock of hearing me ask about such things and handles the difficult subjects more fluently now.

"I understand... Please keep me informed, I need to tend to a few things in the castle now." The word stress doesn't even begin to cover this; I don't know how I have managed to stay sane this far.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Peach!" My father runs to me as soon as I cross the door.

"I know, I shouldn't have left without saying anything and I'm sorry to worry you, but trust me, I don't need to stay in bed. I was at the main peach farm and I have bad news," as I speak, I'm not even aware of the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Traces of poison were found around the peach trees. Everything points to the suspicions being true, the peaches were the cause of the stomachache epidemic of Sarasaland, and Toadallius," my voice crackles out of existence, and I sob before I can breathe and speak again, "is dead."

"Dead?" My father is shocked, and has all the right to be.

"He was found in a peach box, I didn't see the body, the officer gave me the report, no connections found, no grudge, don't know, information, must find." My speech becomes cut and barely coherent.

Father stands there open mouthed. "The answer must be with the witness... Peach you're going to run off and it's evident I can't stop you, so I'll take you with me. I was called with a report of a testimony which will soon be taken from guard who confessed to have aided Dr. Hecc T. He claimed to have received a bribe from Toadallius..." Too much, too fast...

xoxox xox xoxox

My father and I are behind a large glass window, it's a one way window so we can see what goes on in the dimly lit room, but the one being interrogated cannot see us. My mind goes in and out of focus as the interrogation progresses.

"Nash T., former castle guard," the interrogator was dressed in a police uniform with a multitude of badges and recognitions on his shirt, it looked heavy. I imagine he must replace his shirt often due to the fabric tearing from the weight of the shiny metal that emphasized his position and status. He's trying to look intimidating, similar to the investigators in the movies, but it's hard for me to see him as intimidating when he's less than half my size. Then I remember the fact that Hecc T. managed to be quite intimidating even if he too smaller than me.

Nash visibly cringed at the word 'former', but if he had to be detained to be questioned, no longer being trusted as a castle guard should come as no surprise. The plain lightbulb that hung overhead dimly illuminated his mushroom head. His spots were a worn out yellow to contrast with the deep wine colored sports on the mushroom of his interrogator. But what caught my attention was how yellowed Nash's mushroom was, where must would be white, it was hard to distinguish the spots.

"Your previous testimony was unclear; you will repeat your testimony in whole and answer any questions that I ask truthfully. I don't need to remind you that you took an oath a few minutes ago," the interrogator tried to look menacing, but I don't think the fear reflected in Nash's eyes was directed at him.

"Yes," Nash swallowed hard. "A few months ago-"

"How many?" The officer smashed his open palm on the table, making Nash jump in surprise.

"Um... Ah..." Nash paused trying to come up with an exact number. "Three," he finally said, "no, almost three, two months and about three weeks and some days... It was on his birthday, on the king's birthday, when everyone was distracted by the celebration and the guards concentrated at the party hall."

Realizing he had forgotten to turn the recorder on, the officer pressed a button on the only item atop the plain metal table, "start over."

"Yes..." Nash took a deep breath and began his confession. "It started on the birthday of the king. Most of the guards were concentrated in the party hall and they must have not expected anyone to be patrolling the south side of the castle. That's when I-"

"Who are they?" This time the officer didn't hit the table as he interrupted and commanded Nash to "be specific."

"Toadallius and Dr. Hecc T. I didn't hear their entire conversation but they were talking about holding the Mushroom Kingdom hostage and claiming the throne. From what I could hear, Toadallius had been disposing of Hecc T.'s illegal experiments by dumping them in the old Kero Swears that was supposed to be sealed off."

"Toadallius," my father whispers. "He proposed the project and chouse the crew..." I believe that what my father means is that he suspects that Toadallius might have had something to do with the fact that the old structure of Kero Swears was not filled in all that time ago. It was more than just the construction company saving money and accepting a payment for a job they didn't do.

That lightbulb is too bright... Then I should stop staring at it... Closing my eyes feels good...

"Then you confess to have let Dr. Hecc T. out of jail?" The officer's question makes me snap out of my thoughts and back into attention. How much did I miss? This scares me; it was as if I couldn't think at all for a second there.

"Yes," Nash stares at the polished surface of the table for a few solemn seconds before looking up intently. "He promised me the cure. I listened to them by accident and they gave me this curse that kills me a little everyday. I was just trying to survive! That's why I listened to Hecc T. and killed Toadallius when he was no longer needed as an inside connection. I was trying to live!"

My heart skips a beat and rage burns inside me, but I push the feelings away to avoid losing my sanity again as the officer yells, "that's no excuse!"

I don't even know who I am angry at. Hecc T., I certainly am angry at him but also Toadallius and even Nash, yet he was under a death threat. My eyes swell with tears, and they softly and silently roll down my cheeks. My father looks at me with concern and I can only shake my head, silently communicating my choice to stay and witness this. Witness... Nash turned out to be more than just a witness.

"I wasn't going to end up like her... Violet," my eyes go wide in realization as I remember who Nash is. Before this day I couldn't have linked the calm and cheerful young man to this sort of situation. He likes Violet and she liked him back but was too shy to let him know. We talked about it and I encouraged her to at least drop a subtle hint that his feelings were returned.

Then I was swept away by Bowser and when I came back, Violet was gone. I thought she quit but she died and Nash must have seen her in her last days while he was being used by Hecc T.

"He's not going to cure me and I know it now, just like he didn't cure her. That's why I confessed, because I don't want to see the Mushroom Kingdom thrown in a war against Sarasaland, and I don't want the throne of both kingdoms to end up belonging to Hecc T." Nash's mention of Sarasaland worries me deeply and I get up.

"I'm going to call Daisy," my father nods at my words, unable to say anything after listening to Nash's story. I already told the officers to take care of the peach situation, but I need to speak to Daisy myself.

xoxox xox xoxox

I make my way back to my room, angry at myself for leaving my cellphone behind at a time when constant communication is needed. I gasp in surprise as I find a bouquet of violets left on my bed, wrapped in soft white paper with a single red rose hidden among a dozen violets. An envelope is next to it and while I reach for my cellphone and press the speed dial with one hand, I open the ivory colored envelope with the other.

I hear the sound that indicated the call connected and began to make Daisy's cellphone play that cheerful yet silly melody she had me sing to identify my calls. I can imagine my own voice singing "I'm so peachy-keen, feeling totally peachy-keen today. No kidnaps, or koopas gonna get in my way, because I'm so peachy-keen today!" But no one picks up and I become impatient.

My eyes scan the plain white card inside the envelope, with a picture of a withered violet on the cover. My pink cell phone slides out of my hand, landing safely on the soft mattress of my bed as I gasp in horror. The inside of the white card is stained in red, and it looks suspiciously similar to blood. Even the red ink of the message looks like blood. "Roses are red, violets are blue, Violet is dead and soon will be you. When the old man napped and insanity trapped, you were given time, hurry up and adapt."

My heart is racing, is this from Hecc T.? No, there's no way he could have snuck into the palace. There must be someone else that works for him, or someone who is being manipulated or threatened to work for him.

"Hello? Hello?" I pick up the cell phone and stare at it blankly as if I've forgotten what it's for. My mind is going too many places too fast and I can feel the stress within me ready to blow, but it doesn't.

"Hello?" My voice is trembling.

"Peach? What happened? Are you okay? You sound scared." Daisy's gentle voice is filled with concern but also with pain. I can tell her condition has somewhat improved since I last spoke to her, but she's still in pain.

I wish Daisy was here, I wish Mario was here, I even wish Bowser was here. I want to be able to stand on my own two feet, but most of all right now I want to be comforted. "Something bad is happening. Someone is trying to kill me and he's hurting my people."

"Peach, what is this about?" As Daisy asks this, I can hear voices in the background trying to tell her of the state of emergency that Sarasaland is in, something about an epidemic, poison from the Mushroom Kingdom, a trap and something called 'Theal'.

Then another voice comes into the conversation. I do not know how or why this is happening, but I can hear Hecc T. talking and I think Daisy must be able to hear him too. "Roses are red, secrets are kept, tearing the message to shreds. Violets are blue, this is the truth, the world starts anew."

"Peach, what was that?" Daisy sounds confused and alarmed, as I am, but I can't say anything, I'm too shocked. These are riddles, clues, but I don't know what they mean. "Peach!"

"I don't know... I don't know what to do anymore." Maybe I'm not strong enough. Maybe all I can really do is bake cakes, then smile and wave to the crowds. A new world? Is that what Hecc T. wants? A new world by destroying the one we have?

"Whatever is going on we'll... What? No absolutely not!" Daisy is arguing with someone else, I can hear several voices complaining and even blaming her. "I'll go over there and clear this up. Stop it, I'm going and that's final!" What is this about? "Peach are you there? I'm going to the Mushroom Kingdom; you're not going to believe how crazy things got around here. I'll explain when I get there."

The line goes dead. I wasn't able to tell Daisy not to come, that it isn't safe. I try to call her again but it doesn't work. Whoever hacked into out communication must have cut it off. I feel so lost, so trapped, at feel that I'm at breaking point but somehow, those insane urges have ceased...

'Roses are red, violets are blue, Violet is dead and soon will be you. When the old man napped and insanity trapped, you were given time, hurry up and adapt.'

That riddle resurfaces in my mind, as if my subconscious is calling out to me. Violet is dead, I know what that means. When the old map napped and insanity trapped, could that part be referring to when Toadsworth was unconscious and I lost my mind after finding Violet? I was given time? Did Hecc T. do something to me while I was out of control? Why would he give me time and what does adapting mean?

'Roses are red, secrets are kept, tearing the message to shreds. Violets are blue, this is the truth, the world starts anew.'

The world starting anew could be Hecc T.'s intentions of taking over the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland. Then what does the part about the message mean? My head hurts, but I refuse to turn insane and violent again. Bits and peaces of memories are resurfacing and while I need to know the truth it's painful to remember this. It feels as if I was watching my body move on its own, unable to control it. Then everything goes blank.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Princess Peach! Princess Peach!" I don't know for how long I've been standing with my eyes closed, but Toad's voice wakes me up.

I felt as if I was fainting, but I never actually fell. Apparently I just stood here with my eyes closed. I glance at my bed but there are no signs of the violets and rose there or even the card. "Toad, the flowers," as I turn to face him, I spot a dozen violets in a large base near the window. There is a single rose in a small base in a corner of the my desk, sitting next to an open ninja comic I don't remember when I had to interrupt and never got the chance to continue reading. I didn't like how it was going anyway; too many important characters were dying in the latest chapters.

"Flowers?" Toad gives me a puzzled look. He glances around the room, following my gaze. "Oh those flowers, they're pretty." He doesn't know they're from Hecc T. and I can't find the card.

Someone came in here and arranged the flowers while I just stood there. How many people are there working for Hecc T. in this castle? But I don't want to worry Toad. Besides, throwing out wild stories like this, even if it is true, might make people worry about my fragile sanity. "Never mind, what were you saying just now?"

"The king, your father, wishes to see you. He said it was urgent," Toad makes an uneasy pause. "Princess, why was it so dark in this room?"

It is now that I notice that the light illuminating my room is artificial. I stood here unmoving for so long that the day gave way to night. At least I hope all I did was stand here, Toad doesn't sound too alarmed, just worried, so I can only assume standing here is all I did. "I was resting," it's odd to rest without sitting or laying down, but Toad doesn't question my explanation any further.

Instead Toad nods with concern, speaks words I somehow miss and excuses himself. I should go see my father. Daisy must be arriving soon if she left right away, Nash's interrogation must be long over, the peach recall must have taken effect, the tests on the peach samples must have started and Toadallius' autopsy...

xoxox xox xoxox

My life is turning into a collection of clips and missing memories. I don't know when Daisy arrived or if I spoke to her during whatever portion of time she has spent here so far. However, even if my most recent memories are missing, many of my memories from when I was at Bowser's Castle and about what happened after I found Violet are starting to resurface. It's all very confusing.

I suspect that I might be hiding something from myself, as crazy as it sounds. Why are there still blanks in my newly discovered memories while the pieces I do have continue becoming clearer? I think I did something bad... I don't know, I can't focus, I can't think. My head hurts but it's different from before, at least it's I'm not becoming violent. My heartbeats increase but my eyes don't feel irritated, my stomach turns and I feel sick... and full, too full. When did I eat? What did I eat? I don't remember.

It doesn't matter; I have more important things to worry about. Daisy is here, I don't remember receiving her but she is here. I don't see Mario or Luigi anywhere, but my mind doesn't have any more room to wander since the sight before me is so shocking. This endless whiteness that surrounds me is characteristic of most hospitals.

I don't know how I made it from the castle to the hospital, and I can't precise which hospital it is, but I can guess it must be close by. Keres is on the bed wrapped in bandages like a mummy, his shell is elsewhere, I don't know where. People are talking, but I can't move or say anything. I can hardly understand them.

Keres is trying to communicate something but he can't speak. He motions for something to write on, but his hands are bandaged. He insists against the doctor's recommendations and writes with heavy difficulty, intense pain and a barely readable print.

'Roses are red, secrets are kept, tearing the message to shreds. Violets are blue, this is the truth, the world starts anew.'

The message and the messenger... Not only the message was destroyed but the messenger was injured. The words "'Secret', 'Peach', 'Bowser' and 'Dr. Kooheal' are spelled out with difficulty in Keres' paper.

"Dr. Kooheal, judging by the name I would say a koopa doctor. There is a secret about our princess?" One of the mushroom doctors tending to Keres speaks, and Keres can only nod. What happened to his voice?

This means that Dr. Kooheal did find something about my condition that was hidden from me. He must have told Bowser and Bowser was concerned about my health so he sent Keres to secretly deliver the message to the Mushroom Kingdom without telling me anything that would make me worry. But someone, most likely sent by Dr. Hecc T., intercepted the message and injured Keres.

Yoshi is here, but as poor as the perception of my surroundings is right now, I just noticed his precense. Was Yoshi coming to visit and found Keres? Wait, why am I so certain about this theory? Did someone tell me this before?

The room feels like it's spinning, with all other colors fading into an endless whiteness. I hear people calling my name, Daisy and my father are calling me. I hear Yoshi's voice as well, the doctor, and someone else, but not Keres. Keres doesn't say anything, he doesn't speak at all, not the smallest sound comes from him, but I know he's awake; he's looking in my direction.

This time, when I faint I fall, and someone catches me. But I don't think it was Mario. Where is Mario? Where is Luigi? Why are they not here? What happened to them? It hurts, my entire body hurts. I'm cold and scared. Somebody please save me...

Chapter 6: Spiral

"Where am I?" The ceiling is gray; this is not my home in the Mushroom Kingdom. Then I realize that my voice was only barely above a whisper and as my sense of hearing returns, I noticed that it wasn't enough to wake the snoring koopa who is sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Most of his body is on the floor with his arms wrapped together, and one of them still covered in bandages, to form a support for his head which rests at the edge of the bed.

I allow myself to fall back into the bed. This isn't my usual room in any of Bowser's castles. The room is quite plain with little furniture, everything is gray and the bed is relatively small in comparison to my usual oversized bed. I don't know in which castle I am, or how I got here. Then my disorientation fades just enough for me to remember Keres. "Keres!"

Bowser wakes up suddenly. "What? Who? Where?"

"Where's Keres? He was injured!" Bowser looked at me in confusion for a moment. He looks stressed, worried and tired. "Yellow shell," I specify.

"Oh, that guy!" Bowser recalls who I mean and nods, "yeah, he's fine, recovering in a hospital somewhere."

"What about Daisy, Skyi, Mario and Luigi?" Daisy was likely to be safe, I certainly hope so. Skyri had disappeared from what I could tell, and the Mario brothers gave no sign of precense since that time I invited them over for cake. Normally Mario and Luigi would know about the complicated situation by now and be on the scene, but I have no idea what has happened to them and it worries me.

"Those annoying plumbers were sleeping! They slept through the entire thing!" Bowser huffed angrily, a little smoke escaping his mouth.

"Sleeping? What are you talking about?"

"From what I heard, some Toad with a black mushroom brought them some lasagna that put them to sleep for a long time. Too bad it wasn't poisoned." It sounds as if Bowser is actually angrier that it wasn't his plan, than disappointed about the lack of poison.

"A black mushroom with green spots?" That sounds disturbingly familiar. It could have been Hecc T., he went out in the open, and avoided being caught. Maybe he has more inside connections that we imagined.

"Yeah, something like that," it sounded like Bowser wasn't fully aware of the situation or was just too tired to continue explaining it. Though he was sleeping, it was obvious that nap wasn't restful.

"Where am I?"

"In a fortress," I waited for him to elaborate a little more. "Not really a castle, it's smaller and more military, but it's safe, just not as fancy."

"Why?"

"Because I brought you here," Bowser doesn't want to give me a direct answer; that much I can easily tell.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not!"

An uncomfortable silence falls upon us. Though perhaps nobody blames me, I know I did something wrong. "Why am I here?"

"To keep you safe..."

"From who? Hecc T.?"

"From everyone..."

Everyone... I had no idea what Bowser meant at that time, I didn't realize that many of my subjects blamed me for this disaster, and many more were forced to blame me out of fear of being hurt.

Daisy was safe, as I would later confirm, at least for the time being. She was busy trying to stop a war between Sarasaland and the Mushroom Kingdom. Toadsworth was so stressed his condition became critical and my father was feeling the effects of the extra stress as well, everyone was.

Hecc T. was planning to take over by creating fear with a seemingly incurable bio-engineered decease and a web of lies, misunderstandings and misplaced blame.

"I failed; everyone got hurt trying to protect me. I'm dangerous, that's why I'm here, isn't it?" My DNA is unstable, though my body should be used to the symptoms by now, there's no telling when I'll snap. I remember that scene from long ago, when I spent the night over at Bowser's castle before spending the day with Wendy the afterwards.

I was the one who hurt Skyri when she was trying to get me to calm down. She's alive somewhere, but one of her wings was injured so badly, I don't think she'll be able to fly again. A paratroopa who can't fly, to her that must have felt like losing the ability to walk would feel to most people and even if she can walk, that's so much less than what she had. I remember and it hurts.

"Everyone is always making sacrifices for my sake, always protecting me. I can't take it anymore..." I need to find a cure for everyone, myself included. I need to stop Hecc T., stop a war, stop innocent lives from being lost. I need for all of it to stop...

xoxox xox xoxox

Surprisingly, things have calmed down lately. The talks of war have ended, and the kingdoms are at peace. It was none other than Kamek who developed a miracle cure for me after studying ancient scriptures for weeks. However, I'm not entire healed, I could still lose my mind and turn violent if I don't control my emotions, but that's only at this point; I'll heal completely little by little.

What still hurts is the fate of the people who were involved with Hecc T., many of them were injured or even killed. Keres still haven't recovered his voice, nor has Skyri regenerated her wing, but at least they're together again and Kamek and Kammy have assured me they will continue researching healing methods.

"I thought I was a burden to Keres, that's why I left..." Skyri had once revealed when I asked her about it, though I felt I had no right to ask, she held nothing against me. It's odd how sometimes people can perceive other's thoughts and emotions as being more negative than they are.

I know Keres loves Skyri and a few acid burn scars and a missing wing won't change that, yet it makes me feel guilty that I caused it. It's ironic, I thought about how Skyri should have listened to Keres when he said he still cared and here I am unable to forgive myself even if Skyri blames no one but Hecc T.

In the end Daisy took charge and surprised us all. Now I'm heading back to the Mushroom Kingdom but I feel uneasy. I sense a certain sadness in Bowser that's about more than just returning me home. Maybe he's sad because of my pain, or maybe it's deeper, I don't know, and he won't tell me anything except, "I miss seeing you smile for real," because my smiles lately have been forced or only half there.

As I return home everything looks normal, and I think that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to smile again. Hecc T. hasn't been brought to justice yet, but his plan failed, he was too overconfident. Heal T. was charged with hiding his brother, and many others were found to be a part of their group, but I requested that they were not judged too harshly; after all, they didn't want to be traitors, they were only afraid.

Are things going to flow how they always have? Everything feels like a dream as I greet Daisy, Mario and Luigi, with the plumbers giving the Koopa King some disapproving looks that make it clear they want him to leave.

Everything blurs, one hour into the next, not because my memory is failing again, but because it's all in a routine. It's as if the catastrophe never happened, save for the reminders of its after effects. But the epidemic is still there... the mushroom people are drying up, suffering from an unnatural dehydration that no amount of water will cure, and ironically it was found that it came from the water supply. It's slow but it's happening, and we need to find a cure, fast.

xoxox xox xoxox

Just like old times, after I return from a long trip, or kidnapping, Daisy and I sit in my room and talk about what happened. "Any interesting stories?"

I can think of quite a few stories of my time with the Koopa family when they were trying to make me relax and get my mind off things. "You know I always have a new story. Bowser and the koopalings make it so I'm never bored."

End?

Disclaimer, I don't own the Nintendo characters. 


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